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A BRIEF FOR THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY 
IN UTAH AND NEVADA 

ADDRESSED TO 

THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE 

WASHINGTON, D. C. 


A STUDY OF WESTERN ROAD 
STRATEGY DESIGNED TO AID 
IN DETERMINING THE ROAD 
OF MOST IMMEDIATE IMPORT 
ANCE CONNECTING SALT 
LAKE CITY, UTAH, WITH 
CALIFORNIA 


Prepared by 

The National Headquarters 

THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY ASSOCIATION 

DETROIT, MICHIGAN 











/ 


A BRIEF FOR THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY 
IN UTAH AND NEVADA 

ADDRESSED TO 

THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE 

WASHINGTON, D. C. 


A STUDY OF WESTERN ROAD 
STRATEGY DESIGNED TO AID 
IN DETERMINING THE ROAD 
OF MOST IMMEDIATE IMPORT' 
ANCE CONNECTING SALT 
LAKE CITY, UTAH, WITH 
CALIFORNIA 


MARCH 15, 1923 



Prepared by 

The National Headquarters 

THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY ASSOCIATION INC. 

'I DETROIT, MICHIGAN 

Incorporated as an Association not for pecuniary profit , under the 
laws of the State of Michigan , June 24th, 1913 












L G, 


III 


LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL 

To the HON. HENRY C. WALLACE 

Secretary of Agriculture March 15, 1923 

Washington, D. C. 

Dear Sir: 

We feel that the importance of this entire question 
makes it unnecessary for us to apologize for the length 
to which we have gone in submitting, in this Brief, 
the results of ten years of consideration and investi¬ 
gation and study. We have tried to present as clear 
a picture as possible and to omit no data or argument 
which might be of use or benefit to your Department 
in reaching whatever conclusion it may deem wise. 

We believe it will be a logical deduction, from the 
study of such facts as we have presented and from a 
consideration of the basic elements of policy we have 
discussed, that the present Lincoln Way is the most im¬ 
portant route to be first completed. We trust that it will 
be appreciated that we have not sought to convince by 
mere bald assertions or by the expression of our opinions 
only, but rather by the presentation of facts and by logi¬ 
cal argument based upon conditions well known. 

To us our conclusions seem absolutely sound, right 
and logical. It is our sincere hope that we may be suc¬ 
cessful, through our painstaking endeavor, in presenting 
to you the picture we possess, that you may also gain our 
conviction. 

The Lincoln Highway Association cheerfully and con¬ 
fidently transfers its responsibility in the premises to the 
Secretary of Agriculture of the United States. 
Respectfully submitted, 

The Lincoln Highway Association. 

J. Newton Gunn, President. 

Austin F. BemEnt, Vice-President and 
Secretary. 

Frank A. SeibErling, Vice-President and Past 
President . 

Henry B. Joy, Vice-President and Past President. 
Sidney D. Waldon, Director. 

Gael S. Hoag, Field Secretary. 

Collaborators. 






V 


CONTENTS 

LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. Ill 

PREFACE . 1 

INTRODUCTION . 5 

The Importance of the Problem Considered. 5 

Our Picture to be Presented. 6 

The Report of the Government Engineers. 7 

The Association's Broad Viewpoint. 8 

CHAPTER I. The Basic Principles of Lincoln Way 

Route Selection . 11 

Broad Study Made to Determine Most Important Route 

Across America. 13 

Effort Concentrated on New York to San Francisco 
Main Line . 14 

Detailed Routing Between Coasts. 15 

Mountain Passes Restricted Choice of Routes. 16 

Interests of Sections Traversed Not a Factor. 17 

Great Pressure Early Exerted to Change Route.... 18 

Senator Harding Endorsed Association's Policies... 19 

The Association's Disinterested Position. 20 

The Development of the Route. 21 

Rapid Progress in Construction. 21 

Increasing Travel Impressed Value of Route as 

Local Asset. 22 

CHAPTER II. The Route Situation in Utah. 23 

Why a Route “Controversy" in Utah?. 23 

Confusing Differences of Opinion Now. 23 

Route Met with Official Approval to 1921. 24 

History of the Lincoln Way Route in Utah. 25 

Governor Spry’s Wishes Followed. 25 

Careful Study Given All Possible Utah Routes. 26 

Governor Bamberger Favored Lincoln Way. 26 

Utah Road Commission Agreed on Wisdom of 

Route Finally Selected. 27 

No “Dictation" of Route Ever Attempted. 29 

Why Has the Attitude of Utah Changed?. 29 

The Business Importance of Tourist Travel. 29 

Vast Areas Affected by Routes Built. 30 

































VI 


Salt Lake Is Gateway to Most of Pacific Coast. 31 

Lincoln Way Carries Greatest Traffic West. 31 

Great Salt Lake Desert the Controlling Factor. 32 

Sectional Interests Involved. 33 

Conflicting Desires of Sections Have Delayed Road 

Improvement . 33 

Utah Frankly States: No Need for Desert Road... 34 

Where Does the Traffic Want To Go?. 34 

CHAPTER III. What is the Problem ?. 36 

Importance of Determining True Problem. 36 

Your Engineers’ Statement of the Problem. 36 

No Real Importance in Technical Designations. 37 

Comparison of Possible Roads to Reno Needless... 38 

Sacramento True Western Terminus of Problem... 39 

The Problem as the Association Sees It. 40 

Our Basic Assumptions. 40 

The True Problem Defined. 41 

Contrasting Assumptions . 41 

Time and Money Are Important Factors. 42 

What We Propose to Prove. 43 

The Soundness of Our Assumptions. 44 

Our Assumptions Discussed. 44 

Light Local Traffic Developed. 45 

The Time Element Vital. 45 

Both Roads Across Nevada Required. 47 

Both Roads Desired By Counties Traversed. 47 

B5th Roads Will Be Promptly Built in Nevada.... 48 

CHAPTER IV. A Consideration of the True Problem 50 
Two Main Objectives On Coast. 50 

Serving All West-bound Traffic. 51 

Sixty Per Cent of Travel Leaves Salt Lake City for 

Southern California. 51 

California Is the Tourists’ Goal. 52 

The Two Roads to Sacramento. 53 

Wadsworth Not On Southern Route. 54 

Both Routes May Be Ultimately Needed. 55 

The Lincoln Way Serves All Travel to California. 55 

A Winter Route Through the Sierras. 56 

The Two Routes to Los Angeles. 56 

Southern California Travel Deserves Consideration. 57 

CHAPTER V. An Important Subsidiary Problem. 59 

Comparative Distances to Los Angeles. 59 

Which Road to Los Angeles First?. 60 

Scenic Beauties of Southern Utah Not a Factor. ... 61 






































VII 


The Mohave Desert as a Consideration. 61 

Unpleasant Conditions Do Not Stimulate Travel.... 62 

Midland Trail Can he Promptly Improved. 63 

Ely to Los Angeles Route of Primary Importance.. 64 

Nevada’s Federal Aid Mileage Restricted. 64 

Midland Trail Natural and Best Road to Los Angeles... 65 

Ely, Nevada, Is Strategic Point to Be Reached.... 67 

Lincoln Way Most Important To Open First. 68 

CHAPTER VI. The Lincoln Highway Can Be Opened 

First . 69 

Our Detailed Knowledge of the Road Conditions. . 69 

Comparison of Improvements Required. 70 

Both Routes Now Passable in California. 70 

Construction Necessary on the Lincoln Highway. 72 

Detailed Conditions in Utah. 73 

Detailed Conditions in Nevada. 74 

Choice of Routes at Reno and Leeteville. 76 

Two Hundred Miles of Improvement Required on 

Lincoln Way. 77 

Construction Necessary on the Northern Route. 78 

Detailed Conditions in Utah. 79 

Detailed Conditions in Nevada. 79 

Three Hundred and Thirty Miles of Improvement 

Required on Northern Route. 80 

Connections for Local Travel. 81 

The Cost Estimates Used. 82 

Our Estimates of Needed Improvement. 82 

CHAPTER VII. Lincoln Way Best Route to Ely. ... 83 

Construction Only Where Needed to Open Satisfac¬ 
tory' Road—Main Forks to Schellboume Junc¬ 
tion . 83 

Opening Lincoln Way Saves Time and Money. 84 

Funds Available Limit Construction Progress. 84 

Maximum Highway Fund in Utah Small. 85 

Many Roads More Important to Utah Than Great 

Salt Lake Desert Crossing. 86 

Possibilities of Delay in Nevada. 87 

Many Roads More Important to Nevada Than 

Wendover to Schellbourne Junction. 88 

The Counties’ Influence on Road Building. 89 

Tooele County Will Aid Lincoln Way Only. 90 

The Attitude of White Pine and Elko Counties.... 90 
































VIII 


Lincoln Way Only Practicable Route to Ely. 91 

Comparative Cost to Complete to Government Stan¬ 
dard .*. 92 

Differences in Data on Mileages and Costs. 93 

CHAPTER VIII. Completion of Lincoln Highway 

Contracts Will Open Routes to California . 94 

Our Negotiations with Utah and Nevada. 95 

The Contract for Improvement in Utah. 95 

Association Foresaw More Federal Aid. 98 

Additional Aid Offered Utah Refused. 99 

Contracts for Lincoln Way Improvement in Nevada.... 100 
Nevada Making Good Use of Association’s Aid.... 101 

Status of Lincoln Highway, Main Forks, Utah, to Sacra¬ 
mento, Cal., March 15, 1923. 102 

Our Best Efforts Have so Far Been Unsuccessful.. 103 
The Importance of The Lincoln Way to Nevada.... 104 

Government Can Now Bring Progress Out of Stagnation 105 
Serving America Best. 106 

CHAPTER IX. What Has Been Proven? . 107 

No Immediate Need for Road from Main Forks to Wells 107 

The Local Travel of Northern Nevada. 109 

Both Roads May Some Day Be Required. 109 

Importance of Right Route Selection Now. 110 

The Local Travel of Central Nevada. .. Ill 

CHAPTER X. The Engineering Report . 113 

Only Important Differences to Be Shown. 113 

“Nevada-Utah Route Study”. 114 

“I. The Problem”. 114 

“II. Geological and Historical Sketch”. 114 

“HI. Comparison of North and South Routes”... 114 

“1. Distances” . 114 

Comparative Table Showing Mileage Differences.. . 114 

Comments on Mileage Differences Noted. 116 

Miteage Difference Favors Lincoln Highway. 119 

“2. Status of Federal Aid Projects”. 120 

“3. Population, Valuation and Traffic”. 120 

“Traffic” . 121 

“4. Water and Supplies Available”. 122 

The Longest Walk to Water. 122 

“Desert Hazards”. 124 

“5. Curvature”. 124 

“6. Time in Transit”. 124 

“7. Operation Cost” . 125 

“8 & 9. Profiles and Rise and Fall”. 126 





































IX 


Passengers Not Freight Prime Consideration. 126 

Lincoln Way Scenic and Historic Nevada Route.... 127 
A Drive of Superlative Interest and Charm. 129 

CHAPTER XI. “Quantities and Costs” . 130 

Paving a Thousand Miles of Western Trail Is Hy¬ 
pothetical Only . 130 

Difficulty of Accurately Comparing Costs of Sec¬ 
tions Requiring Improvement.. 131 

Comparative Costs on the Two Desert Crossings in Utah 132 

Our Data Very Complete. 133 

Desert Links the Vital Factors on Both Roads. 134 

Opening Goodyear Cut-off Saves $1,000,000.00 .... 135 

Some Comments on Estimates. 135 

Differences in Unit Costs. 136 

Height of Grade Required. 137 

Drainage Structures. 138 

Surfacing. 138 

Hauling by Industrial Railroad. 140 

Salvage. 141 

The Goodyear Cut-off Has Withstood Traffic and 

the Elements . 142 

Fallacy of Capitalizing Theoretical Savings. 143 

“11. Maintenance” . 144 

Maintenance on Desert Road to Wendover Worthy 
of Special Study. 145 

CHAPTER XII. “IV. Analysis of Routes for Inter¬ 
state Connections, Nevada-Utah” . 146 

Designating Federal Aid Highways Costs Nothing.. 146 

“V. Summary and Recommendations”. 147 

Our Recommendations. 148 

“Remarks”. 149 

Limited Funds and Light Traffic. 150 

No Heavy Traffic in Sight. 151 

Highway Funds Strictly Limited. 151 

The Validity of Contract. 152 

The Good Faith of a Sovereign State. 152 

Justice to the Association. 153 

APPENDIX. 155 

A. The Contract Between the State of Utah and the Lin¬ 

coln Highway Association, Together With Some Per¬ 
tinent Correspondence Relating Thereto. 155 

B. Official Memorandum Increasing Wendover Road 

Estimate. 155 

































C. A Resolution Formally Passed by the Board of County 
Commissioners of Tooele County, Utah, September 


4, 1922 ... 165 

D. Assembly Joint Resolution (No. 2) Introduced by Mr. 

Jurich, Passed by the Legislature of the State of 
Nevada, January 29, 1923... 166 

E. A Petition Directed to the Governor of Utah by the 

Governor and the Department of Highways of Nevada 
and by Many Utah, Nevada and California Counties 
and Organizations. 167 

F. An Act Passed by Both the Senate and the Assembly 
of the Legislature of the State of Nevada, March 15th, 

1923 . 169 

G. A Letter From a Representative Source in Utah 

Frankly Stating That Utah’s Interests Are Not 
Served By a Road to the West... 170 

H. Tourist Registration At Utah State Automobile As¬ 
sociation Office—Salt Lake City—From January 1st 

to December 31st, 1922. 172 










XI 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


It was not always possible to make early trips across the 
continent entirely by motor. No through road west 
of Pittsburgh in 1913.facing Page 14 

There was no existing through trail across the West when 
the Lincoln Highway was laid out in 1913. The 
motorist used a compass.facing Page 14 

Governor Spry’s message of September 13, 1913, urging 
the present route of the Lincoln Way west of Salt 
Lake City.facing Page 26 

Western Utah showing the old Lincoln Way and the / 
present route via Rush Valley, Fisher Pass and the 
Goodyear Cut-off.facing Page 26 ' 

A view of the excellent concrete Lincoln Highway con¬ 
structed by the State of Utah west of Salt Lake City 
and east of Main Forks.facing Page 38 

Tourists on the newly completed Goodyear Cut-off across 
the Great Salt Lake Desert in 1919. Note the height 
of the grade.facing Page 38 

At the summit of the Sierras on the Lincoln Way on 
June 8th. Seldom is any northern pass open before 
June or after September.facing Page 56 

Lincoln Highway officials in the Yosemite Valley. The 
Lincoln Way in both Nevada and California connects 
with good direct roads leading into the Yosemite 
National Park.facing Page 56 

A characteristic view on the Mohave Desert. The scenery 
for 400 miles is no more inviting than the tempera¬ 
ture .facing Page 62 

Lincoln Highway officials studying touring conditions on 
the Mohave Desert. These trails are fast if one stays 

in the ruts—but the drive is not pleasurable. 

.. facing Page 62 













XII 


A view showing the excellent natural trail characteristic 
of the present condition of the Midland Trail from 
Ely, Nevada, to Tonopah, Goldfield and southern 
California .facing Page 66 

Lincoln Highway officials on the Midland Trail between 
Ely, Nevada, and Los Angeles, showing one of the 
excellent signs erected along the road by the Auto¬ 
mobile Club of Southern California.facing Page 66 

A view looking south toward Tooele, Utah, along the ex¬ 
cellent gravel Lincoln Highway in Rush Valley. 

. facing Page 72 

Another view showing the excellent improvement pos¬ 
sible at slight expense on the Lincoln Way west of 
Salt Lake City, Utah.facing Page 72 

Lincoln Highway officials on the Lincoln Way between 
Tooele, Utah, and Fisher Pass. This requires no 
additional improvement.facing Page 72 

The excellent, recently completed, government standard 
gravel road constructed on the Lincoln Highway 
west of Fallon, Nevada.facing Page 80 

A section of fast natural road on the Midland Trail in 
Nevada, showing the nature of those sections which 
have not been constructed.facing Page 80 

A view of the natural trail forming the Lincoln Highway 
down Antelope Valley, Nevada, to Ely. This stretch 
is typical of many unconstructed sections of the Lin¬ 
coln Way in Nevada.facing Page 88 

From a photo taken in August, 1922, showing Lincoln 
Highway officials inspecting conditions between 
Wendover, Utah, and Schellbourne Junction, Nevada. 
There is no road.facing Page 88 

This view and the one below show the nature of the excel¬ 

lent road constructed through Fisher Pass by the 
State of Utah with funds contributed by the Lincoln 
Highway Association .facing Page 98 

One of the permanent culverts installed on the new Fisher 
Pass section of the Lincoln Highway. Very little 
additional work is required to bring this road to gov¬ 
ernment standard.facing Page 98 

The above photo, taken in 1915, shows the old “road” 
across the Fallon Sink, Nevada. This Sink is an old 
lake bottom like the Great Salt Lake Desert in Utah 
. facing Page 102 


















A view of the excellent, graded, well-drained road across 
the Fallon Sink completed by the State of Nevada in 
1922, with the aid of the Lincoln Highway Associa¬ 
tion .facing Page 102 

Where the Lincoln Highway Association has helped and 
is helping the State of Nevada to promptly bring the 
Lincoln Highway into proper condition. The short¬ 
ening made possible by the new route between 
Austin and Eastgate is clearly indicated, .facing Page 106 

Nearing County Well on the present Lincoln Highway 
between Orr’s Ranch and Granite Mountain Spring. 
Many sections of this natural road are virtual speed¬ 
ways .facing Page 122 

Tourists stopping for water at Granite Mountain Spring. 

The state laid 5,000 feet of underground pipe to bring 
this water to the road.facing Page 122 

Looking across the Great Salt Lake Desert in 1916 at its 
narrowest point—about where the Goodyear Cut-off 
was later built .facing Page 132 

F. A. Seiberling, President, and other officials of the Lin¬ 
coln Highway Association, investigating the soil and 
sub-surface water on the Great Salt Lake Desert in 
September, 1917 .facing Page 132 

The Wendover Road at a point near the edge of the salt 
beds, April 18, 1922. Water was 12 miles wide by 
40 miles long, maximum depth 20". Grade officially 
announced as completed December, 1921. Completed 
22 ' wide; four months later 8' 10" wide..facing Page 138 

Another view taken on the Wendover Road in 1922 show¬ 
ing the destruction of the wooden guards placed to 
prevent the erosion of the salt water. No travel has 
ever been routed over this road.facing Page 138 

Looking west from a point near the east end of the Good¬ 
year Cut-off showing the damage done to the unsur¬ 
faced, unmaintained grade by traffic and the elements 
. facing Page 142 

Looking west from a point about 7 miles from the west 
end of the Goodyear Cut-off showing how that sec¬ 
tion which was graveled, according to contract, has 
stood up under traffic and the elements, .facing Page 142 









State forces at work constructing the Goodyear Cut-off 
across the Great Salt Lake Desert in 1918. Cater¬ 
pillar tractors pulling elevating graders constructed 
the road in the most simple and obvious way. No 
special problems of any sort!.facing Page 144 

A view of the completed grade on the Goodyear Cut-off 
from a photograph taken in 1919. Had this grade 
been graveled and given ordinary maintenance it 
would be in excellent condition to carry the travel 
today .facing Page 144 




Page one 


PREFACE 


P RIMARILY, this Brief proves that the Lincoln 
Highway west of Salt Lake City, Utah, is the one 
route of first, national, strategic, correlating importance 
to serve all travel to the Pacific Coast south of Portland, 
Oregon. 

In substantiating the above we prove: 

That in seeking the route of primary importance to 
be first constructed with Government aid west of Salt 
Lake City the interests of the through traffic should be 
the paramount factor. 

That the local traffic in the areas traversed is incon¬ 
sequential and of minor importance in the problem be¬ 
fore you for solution. 

That the through traffic west of Salt Lake City is 
bound to or from California points. 

That the travel between Salt Lake City and southern 
California is more than 50% of all through travel west 
of Salt Lake and deserves as much consideration as the 
travel between Salt Lake City and central and northern 
California. 

That the Arrowhead Trail from Salt Lake City to 
Los Angeles is not the most satisfactory route possible 
for travel between those two points. 

That it is important to find, if possible, a road across 
western Utah of use to travel between Salt Lake City 
and all California points. 

That it is important also, if possible, to provide that 
travel leaving Salt Lake City for central and northern 
California with a route open later in the Fall and earlier 
in the Spring than any direct route through the Sierras. 

That the strategic location of the Lincoln Way pro¬ 
vides the only possible route to best serve travel to and 
from all parts of California. 


That the Lincoln Highway is the shortest route to 
California from Salt Lake City. 

That time and money are important factors in view 
of the waiting traffic. 

That the states traversed cannot afford to entirely 
build to Government standard any route under consid¬ 
eration for many years. 

That the important element, therefore, is not the total 
cost to complete, but the cost to open for the through 
travel. 

That the Lincoln Highway can be opened first and at 
least cost. 

That the completion of existing construction con¬ 
tracts on the Lincoln Highway will open a satisfactory 
route between Salt Lake City and both northern and 
southern California. 

That the historic interest and scenic beauty of a route 
for tourist travel should be given consideration in locat¬ 
ing it. 

That the Lincoln Highway across Nevada is the route 
of greatest interest and beauty. 

That it is of vital importance to correctly locate the 
road across the desert in western Utah; its wrong loca¬ 
tion would definitely control the destination of, and the 
route to be followed by, vast volumes of future traffic. 

That the Lincoln Highway desert crossing has been 
proven the practicable and feasible one; while the cross¬ 
ing to Wendover is an unsolved problem, where all at¬ 
tempts at building have failed. 

That the opening of the Lincoln Way desert crossing 
will save $1,000,000.00 as compared with the opening 
of the northern crossing. 

That the people of Tooele County, Utah, want the 
Lincoln Highway built and will provide funds to aid its 
construction; while the other crossing of the desert can¬ 
not be financed by customary methods, if at all. 

That the local travel of central and southern Nevada 
urgently requires the opening of the Lincoln Way desert 
crossing in Utah. 

That the local travel of northern Nevada does not 
require the opening of the northern crossing of the des¬ 
ert in Utah. 


Page three 


That both routes across Nevada into central Califor¬ 
nia will be promptly opened to travel, regardless of what 
road is built in Utah. 

That the road from Wendover, Utah, to Schellbourne 
Junction, Nevada, would not, under any circumstances, 
be built for many years, and would be an extravagant 
waste of money. 

That the people, the Legislature, the State Highway 
Commission and the Governor of Nevada want the Lin¬ 
coln Highway in L T tah promptly opened. 

That it is not wise to try and connect the two natural 
main roads across Nevada into one road across western 
Utah, thus requiring the building of unneeded road mile¬ 
age in Nevada to save the building of needed mileage in 
Utah. 

That the real problem is not to save mileage, but to 
serve traffic. 

That the problem now under consideration is a com¬ 
plex one involving many highly important factors not 
considered in the Government engineers’ report on the 
subject. 

That the engineering report incorrectly states the 
problem and undertakes to solve it from fallacious basic 
assumptions. 

That much of the data presented in the engineering 
report has little bearing on the true problem of serving 
the travel. 

That there are excellent grounds for believing that 
the estimates of construction costs in the engineering 
report are not accurate. 

That the western controversy in connection with the 
problem before you is the result of the efforts of strongly 
biased areas, naturally desirous of procuring for them¬ 
selves the highly important benefits of the tourist travel 
—which means hundreds of millions of dollars in the 
future. 

That any other road than the Lincoln Highway would 
merely serve better the business interests of one or more 
of these western areas at the expense of the others, while 
less advantageously serving all the traffic. 

That the Lincoln Highway Association has no bias in 
studying the western road situation; its viewpoint being 


Page four 


the same broad, national one from which the Federal 
Government considers the problem. 

That Utah State officials and the Lincoln Highway 
Association were in full accord as to the route in Utah 
for eight years following its establishment through 
Utah, in 1913. 

That we have a valid contract with the State of Utah, 
calling for the completion of the Lincoln Highway 
crossing of the Great Salt Lake Desert, the repudiation 
of which the Government cannot, in justice, sanction. 

That as it has at last become possible for Utah to 
build a western outlet, the needs of through travel, the 
demands of Nevada, the more early and more certain 
and ready means of financing, and the moral obligation 
under which she rests, all clearly indicate that she should 
devote her first available funds to the completion of the 
Lincoln Highway. 


f 


Page five 


INTRODUCTION 

jDEFORE undertaking to present for your considera- 
tion some of the data which officials of the Lincoln 
Highway Association have been carefully gathering for 
more than ten years and which we feel confident will aid 
you in reaching a proper and right decision with regard 
to the western connections in the basic arterial road sys¬ 
tem of the United States, we wish to first express appre¬ 
ciation for the opportunity, not only in behalf of the 
Lincoln Highway Association, which feels signally hon¬ 
ored in your recognition of its long study of western 
road problems, but also in behalf of all those far-seeing 
citizens who have, through a decade, supported and 
encouraged the Association’s work. 

The Importance of the Problem Considered 

We feel that the decision you are now called upon to 
reach is one of vast importance. It affects for years 
to come the entire trend of traffic between the Rocky 
Mountains and the Sierra Nevadas. Should we be 
able, as a result of the long study we have made of the 
situation involved, to present to you some additional 
light on the problem which will aid toward a correct 
decision, for that reason alone, and without taking into 
consideration the other accomplishments of the Associa¬ 
tion since its organization in 1913, our whole work and 
effort would be justified. 

We want also to express appreciation for the pains¬ 
taking effort and the care your Department has put 
forth to secure all possible information bearing upon 
this decision. We appreciate that your effort is to sift 
every grain of available information bearing upon the 
subject before making a decision and we hope that your 
courtesy in extending to representatives of this Associa¬ 
tion an opportunity to study the data compiled by your 


Page six 


engineers may be repaid by the additional light which 
this study may enable us to shed on certain aspects of 
the situation we believe are of commanding importance. 

Our Vice-President, Mr. Henry B. Joy, in his letter to 
you of November 10th, 1922, urged that the Association 
be allowed to study the report of your engineers and pre¬ 
sent to you this Brief before a final decision was reached, 
because, as he expressed it, “there might be some things 
of great value to you in deciding the case which we could 
add to the picture.” As Mr. Joy pointed out in that 
letter, the engineers representing your Department were 
at work upon this problem, in studying the physical fea¬ 
tures of the routes they took under consideration, for 
a few months, while our organization, which includes 
many active interested local residents in the areas under 
consideration, has been making a particular study of all 
phases of the problem for ten years. 

The very complete and satisfactory opportunity given 
officials of the Association to carefully study and digest 
the data prepared for your consideration by the engi¬ 
neers of the Bureau of Public Roads has, we feel, proven 
the wisdom of permitting us the opportunity, for we are 
confident we can present in the following pages much 
additional light on the problem which it is our hope will 
be of value to you in supplementing the very careful 
and thorough engineering data presented in that report. 

Our Picture to Be Presented 

We do not assume that we will, in the following Brief, 
present much of anything new as to engineering data 
regarding topography, terrain traversed, population, or 
other purely statistical compilations relative to the routes 
now before your Department for consideration and de¬ 
cision. In a few instances the information at our dis¬ 
posal does differ from that provided you by your engi¬ 
neers, and these differences will be pointed out. We 
do, however, expect to present a picture of the route 
strategy of the western area under consideration which 
we have absorbed during ten years or more of intimate 
contact and which is more than likely to be new to your 
Department now approaching the matter for the first 


Page seven 


time, and also possibly new to the interested public at 
large and to the press of the United States, both of 
which have given much material support to the great 
object we have had so long in view and which now so 
closely coincides with the aims of your Department. 

It is our hope that we may be able to present to you 
in this Brief the impressions which we have absorbed 
in ten years as to the wisdom and broad practicability of 
Our contentions, to the end of convincing you, Mr. 
Secretary, that the subject we are discussing is one of 
the utmost importance, involving a decision which is 
probably the most important ever to be presented to a 
Secretary of Agriculture. We hope also to convince 
you that this Association has made a careful and con¬ 
scientious effort to be right and to convince you, only 
by sound reasoning and true facts, that its position is 
correct. 

The Report of the Government Engineers 

The engineering report which we have studied, and 
which is now before you, reduces this western road 
problem to a simplicity which, we regret, we cannot agree 
is feasible. The problem is not so simple as it is stated 
arbitrarily to be by your engineers, nor can the solution 
be determined by the securing of the facts to answer a 
few simple questions in regard to distance, grade, popu¬ 
lation, etc. We regret that the problem is not one sim¬ 
ply stated and easily determined by securing, through in¬ 
vestigation, the answers to a relatively few questions as 
to comparative physical aspects. We regret it because, 
if such were the case, our present task would be so much 
easier and more certain of success. 

The engineering report prepared at your direction is 
admirable and we take pleasure in commending and 
praising in the highest degree the detailed data gathered 
by your engineers during the summer months of 1922 
and the care and effort which these gentlemen have un¬ 
questionably put into the work of providing you with 
tables of distances, elevations, estimates of costs, etc. 

We especially do not wish you to feel that we intend 
to argue or seem to argue in this Brief about any petty 


Page eight 


differences as to unimportant details in your engineer¬ 
ing report. The data compiled by your engineers is en¬ 
lightening and, while we do not in the slightest degree 
wish to belittle the due weight which should be given to 
it, it is but fair to state that the data and estimates of 
different engineers have been known to differ. So, also, 
have been known to differ the conclusions which different 
engineers may draw from the same data. Again it may 
be said that frequently, by reason of the different view¬ 
point of the principals who may have sent the engineers 
into the field to gather the data, the principals reach 
different conclusions, from the data of the engineers, 
than the engineers themselves reached. 

This condition is but natural when we consider the 
responsibility of the principal for the success or failure 
of an enterprise or plan and when we consider that the 
viewpoint of the principal may cover a wider area and 
his vision be more keenly sensitized by his position of 
responsibility. 

Thk Association's Broad Viewpoint 

We feel that in this question the viewpoint which the 
Lincoln Highway Association has taken, or has en¬ 
deavored to take, is identical with that which the Secre¬ 
tary of Agriculture must, because of his position, en¬ 
deavor, himself, to take. We cannot then, much to our 
regret, present what we have to say in regard to this 
situation as briefly or as concisely as your engineers 
have placed their data before you. We cannot, as they 
were given to do, arbitrarily compress the problem into a 
sentence and endeavor to answer it with tables of data. 

Unfortunately, the picture we wish to present to you 
must be presented in words and must take into considera¬ 
tion and touch upon a great many matters unheeded, 
and perhaps rightly so, in your engineering report. 

We appreciate fully that your engineers were given a 
problem to solve with information which they were to 
secure as engineers. We are perhaps not wrong in 
assuming that you hoped to get from us and other or¬ 
ganizations and individuals long and closely in touch 
with aspects of the problem which do not fall under 


Page nine 


engineering consideration, the information which when 
submitted together with the data provided by your 
engineers, would enable you to reach a decision based 
upon all the elements involved. 

We sincerely hope that in considering our present¬ 
ment of the situation it will be understood that our aim 
is not to tear down or vitiate the carefully marshalled 
facts provided by your engineers, but rather to throw 
such additional light as we can upon these facts and to 
paint a broad picture of the western road strategy and 
prove that this strategy of route location is funda¬ 
mentally more important than all of this detailed data, 
which, nevertheless, is so essential also to a full consider¬ 
ation of the matter. 

It has been a work of intense interest to us to gather 
and present this information and we hope that that 
interest, to some extent, may be reflected and result in 
your careful consideration of all we have to say. We 
have studiously endeavored to exclude all extraneous 
matter. We appreciate fully that the problem involved 
lies in its entirety west of Salt Lake City, Utah. We will 
endeavor later to briefly formulate this specific problem 
as we see it, but first we feel that a brief presentation of 
the basic principles upon which the Lincoln Highway 
was founded and upon which this organization has 
operated for ten years will serve a real purpose in throw¬ 
ing light upon the manner in which we have approached 
the specific problem west of Salt Lake City. 


Page ten 


Page eleven 


CHAPTER I 

THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF LINCOLN 
WAY ROUTE SELECTION 

IN the original “Proclamation of Route of the Lincoln 
* Highway” issued on the 10th day of September, 1913, 
we read the following declaration of purpose and guid¬ 
ing principles: 

WHEREAS 

The purpose of this Association is to immediately 
promote and procure the establishment of a con¬ 
tinuous improved highway from the Atlantic to the 
Pacific, open to lawful traffic of all descriptions and 
without toll charges, and 
WHEREAS 

Toward the end of accomplishing this purpose elab¬ 
orate research and investigation has been prerequi¬ 
site to crystallisation of opinion before intelligent 
and wise decision could be reached, and 
WHEREAS 

This Association expressly desires to impress upon 
all the people that it fully acknoidedges that a public 
declaration by it of a route is of no force or effect 
except as it shall be wise and practical, and, being 
so, meet with the approval of the people for such a 
usefid and enduring memorial, and 

WHEREAS 

It is obvious that this Association can only aid and 
co-operate toward the desired end, and that UPON 
ALL THE PEOPLE, and especially upon the 
officials of each State and County and upon the in¬ 
habitants thereof, within the borders of which is 
designated by these resolutions a section of the Lin¬ 
coln Highway, does rest the patriotic burden of 
ESTABLISHING, BROADENING, STRAIGHT¬ 
ENING, MAINTAINING, AND BEAUTIFY¬ 
ING such Highway to the end that it may become an 


Page twelve 


appropriate memorial to the Great Martyred Patriot 
whose name it bears, and 
WHEREAS 

Our chief step toward the desired goal is to crystal¬ 
lize in the public mind the practical wisdom of the 
route selected; therefore, be it recorded here: 

First—That in general it has been for nearly a cen¬ 
tury and is today the main Overland Trail, 
and that part lying west of Chicago is knozvn 
by that historic name. 

Second—It is the most direct and most practical 
route as to grades, curves and general topog¬ 
raphy. 

Third—It is to the greatest extent improved and 
marked throughout its length. 

Fourth—It is capable of being established as a fitting 
memorial highway at the least cost, and 

WHEREAS 

It is now proper to declare the results of deliberation 
and inspection in the hope that the wisdom and care 
in selection may insure united sentiment, and with 
the prayer that this record will appeal to the hearts 
of all patriotic Americans to the end that plans and 
activities toward construction may go immediately 
forward; therefore, be it 

RESOLVED 

That the Lincoln Highway now is and henceforth 
shall be an existing memorial in tribute to the im¬ 
mortal Abraham Lincoln. 

It is worthy of note that not a single one of the orig¬ 
inal organizers who plotted the route of what has since 
become the Lincoln Highway and who backed the Proc¬ 
lamation from which the above was quoted, lived on 
the route promulgated or had business interests along 
that route. Then as now the Lincoln Highway Associa¬ 
tion was entirely free from any bias of interest, direct 
or indirect, in the location of the road west of Salt Lake 
City or at any point between the Atlantic and Pacific. 
The Lincoln Highway Association is interested only in 
the objective which it came into existence to accomplish. 


Page thirteen 


This objective, stated in the Proclamation, has been ad¬ 
hered to undeviatingly for ten years. 

Those who founded the Lincoln Highway Association 
in 1913 and undertook, through the wisdom used in the 
selection of a route, to put behind that route the force 
of public approval, which would ultimately result in its 
construction as a through entity, were faced with an 
exceedingly difficult and complex problem, for there were 
then no established lines of transcontinental motor trans¬ 
portation. The need and desirability of such a program, 
which it was hoped would lead to the ultimate realization 
of such a great Federal highway transportation system 
as is now being evolved, was foreseen. Those who fore¬ 
saw the great possibilities in motor vehicular travel felt 
that a start should be made to provide for it on broad, 
basic principles of topography, which it was felt not 
only then, but for all time, must govern the trend of 
motor traffic across the continent. 

Broad Study Made to Determine Most 
Important Route Across America 

Some of those who later became officials of the Lincoln 
Highway Association had had, previous to its forma¬ 
tion, visions of future vehicular travel which led them, 
with the instinctive American pioneering spirit, to make 
expeditions westward seeking through routes to the 
Pacific Coast. 

These expeditions met with many misadventures 
due to the lack of co-ordinated thru roads and to the 
crude nature of such trails as existed. By persistent 
effort and the expenditure of much energy, each succeed¬ 
ing expedition pressed farther west, gaining by experi¬ 
ence, in the manner of the pioneers, information as to 
practicable routes across the country. It became evident 
that the Sante Fe Trail west from Kansas City and the 
Overland Trail, now the Lincoln Way, west of Chicago 
provided the best natural routes to the only practicable 
and available natural gateways or mountain passes 
through the Rockies. These passes are,, respectively, 
the Raton Pass in southern Colorado which leads into 
New Mexico, and the so-called Union Pacific pass in 


Page fourteen 


Wyoming. To reach these passes was in those early 
days much more of an undertaking than it may now 
seem and required many trips of investigation and effort. 
These journeys, however, tended to further crystallize 
a conception of the best and shortest lines of travel to 
the West and Southwest until it finally became obvious 
that the Overland Trail and the Sante Fe Trail would 
become the main through motor vehicular routes. 

So when it seemed the proper time in the history of 
the development of the motor vehicle to promote the most 
important through road from Coast to Coast, those 
who were the instigators of the plan which developed 
into the Lincoln Highway organization came to discuss 
the feasibility of such an effort with much of the basic 
information already in hand. In order to determine 
which of these two main avenues of the future should be 
the one upon which was to be concentrated the efforts of 
a forceful organization to promote its advancement to¬ 
ward practical traveling condition, it was necessary only 
to compile statistics as to the population which would be 
served by these two routes, and their correlating west¬ 
ern branches. 

Effort Concentrated on New York to San 

Francisco Main Line 

Eventually the tide of travel due to population would 
be greater on the more northern of these two roads. To 
some extent also idealism guided the selection of New 
York and San Francisco as the terminal cities, but weigh¬ 
ing all data favorable and unfavorable it was clear that 
the route which would, in comparatively few years, be¬ 
come the most important main thoroughfare in America, 
was the more northern route, bisecting the heart of the 
Union, following through the Union Pacific pass on 
the line from Chicago to the Coast. The effort of the 
Lincoln Highway Association was, therefore, concen¬ 
trated in 1913 upon the crystallization of the north¬ 
ern route into its wisest final location, subject to minor 
straightening and shortening which would naturally 
come during the process of future evolution. 

The main route from New York to San Francisco 
having been determined upon as the logical backbone 


1 



It was not always possible to make early trips across the continent 
entirely by motor. No through road west of Pittsburgh in 1913 



There was no existing through trail across the West when the Lincoln 
Highway was laid out in 1913 . The ynotorist used a compass 






















































































Page fifteen 


for an ultimately-to-be-developed American highway 
transportation system, how was the route to be plotted 
between the terminals selected? What basic principles 
guided its selection which, being wise and practicable, 
apply now as strongly as they did ten years ago? 

It was necessary only, with a full knowledge of the 
general topography between Jersey City and Oakland, 
to locate the main points of a route most practicable 
and most directly in line with the terminal cities on the 
Hudson River and San Francisco Bay. Co-operation to 
this end was sought with the road officials of those states 
which, at that early time in road development, had 
progressed to the stage of having road departments. 
The objectives of the Association were explained and in 
every case cordial co-operation was extended. 

Detailed Routing Between Coasts 

A few words will suffice to indicate how the route fell 
naturally into place across the map of the United States, 
once the problem was formulated and it became clear 
that what was desired was the shortest and most direct 
connecting road consistent with topography between 
New York and San Francisco. Starting from Jersey 
City and following the natural topography, the route 
which had been followed from the earliest days, Phil¬ 
adelphia would now be the next point, while the objective 
to be reached west of Philadelphia, in line with natural 
topography, was Pittsburgh. Two routes were possible 
between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh; the natural topog¬ 
raphy favored the route via Gettysburg rather than 
that by way of Harrisburg. The strategy of the con¬ 
nection leading south from Gettysburg to the National 
Capital added to the balance in favor of the Gettysburg 
routing and it become the choice. Having in view the 
most direct main route across the State of Ohio from 
Pittsburgh west, Fort Wayne, Indiana, fell naturally 
in line with Chicago as the ultimate objective. Topog¬ 
raphy had little control in the flat country between 
Pittsburgh and Chicago; the question was only to find 
the shortest and most direct connecting road. 

It was felt that there would develop ultimately a 
through travel which it was not sensible to send through 


Page sixteen 


the congestion of the Chicago area; therefore, a route 
was sought which avoided Chicago and expedited 
through traffic following the natural topography by way 
of Joliet and joining the old “Overland Trail,” leading 
westward from Chicago, at Geneva. Illinois, a flat 
country, presented no problems of topography and it was 
necessary only to determine upon the point of cross¬ 
ing of the Mississippi River to solve the problem of the 
route between Chicago and the River. The Clinton, 
Iowa, bridge became the natural objective in following 
the old Overland Trail. Pursuing the location of route 
westward from Clinton, Iowa, it was natural to follow 
the route of earlier pioneers and engineers along the 
thoroughly established line of main travel to the Omaha 
crossing of the Missouri River, shortly west of which 
would be encountered the practically water-level grade 
across Nebraska along the Platte River, followed by the 
Union Pacific Railroad. 

Mountain Passes Restricted Choice of Routes 

Looking westward from Omaha and viewing the 
available possibilities of crossing the Rocky Mountains, 
it was natural to pursue the shortest and most direct line 
heading for Union Pacific Pass, by way of Cheyenne and 
then on to Salt Lake City. There was no practicable 
pass for motor travel within four hundred miles north 
or south of the Union Pacific Pass west of Cheyenne, 
and, once through, the line became clear across Wyom¬ 
ing and into Salt Lake City or Ogden. 

It was clear that to reach San Francisco it would be 
necessary to go either north or south of Great Salt 
Lake. A trail ran from Ogden around north of Great 
Salt Lake, near the Idaho line, and connected through 
Reno and Sacramento with San Francisco. Another 
trail—the one used by the old Overland Stage Coach 
and the Pony Express riders of an earlier day—led from 
Salt Lake City south of Great Salt Lake through Ely, 
Nevada, and by way of Carson City to Sacramento and 
San Francisco. From Ely, Nevada, there led southwest 
an even then well recognized trail by way of Tonopah 
and Big Pine into southern California. The routing 



Page seventeen 


south of Great Salt Lake was the shorter to San Fran¬ 
cisco and had the tremendous additional advantage of 
connecting with the important road to Los Angeles. 
This routing was urged by the Governors of both Utah 
and Nevada and was adopted on the same broad basis 
of topography and traffic strategy as was the balance 
of the route. The importance of this basic route stra¬ 
tegy west of Salt Lake City will be touched upon in 
more detail later. Another important consideration was 
that the only available passes in the Sierra Nevadas, to 
which any route west of Salt Lake City on a line to San 
Francisco led, were deep with snow and closed to travel 
approximately eight months of the year; that is to say, 
for a period much longer than any other section of the 
route east of the California line. Another outlet was 
essential then for that traffic desiring to enter California 
previous to the opening of the pass used by the Southern 
Pacific Ry. and its companion pass south of Lake Tahoe, 
where an alternate route was located in the belief that 
ultimately one or the other would be so constructed as 
to make possible its maintenance open for traffic earlier 
and later in the snow season. 

From the summit of the Sierras the route was dictated 
by the topography of the mountains to the main junction 
point at Sacramento from both passes north and south 
of Lake Tahoe, and from the State Capital by the only 
practicable route direct to San Francisco Bay. 

Interests of Sections Traversed Not a Factor 

Such then, briefly, was the basic strategy and general 
broad policy of locating the Lincoln Highway across 
the map of the United States. It will be seen that the 
advantage of sections or communities, or the interests 
of business organizations, which were alive to the ulti¬ 
mate importance of such a through highway routing, 
had no part in the consideration of those endeavoring 
to project a strategic backbone highway across the 
American Continent along lines dictated by the policies 
above formulated. 

But two mistakes in principle were made in the origi¬ 
nal routing of the Lincoln Highway, both being the 


Page eighteen 


result of strong official urging from sources biased by 
other considerations than those actuating the Lincoln 
Highway Association. These mistakes were later cor¬ 
rected, but not before they had almost accomplished an 
irreparable harm by establishing a precedent contrary to 
the basic principles upon which the routing of the Lin¬ 
coln Way was established. 

The first of these mistakes lay in the designation of 
a route branching from the main line of the Lincoln 
Highway at Big Springs, Nebraska, and running into 
Denver, Colorado, 100 miles due south of Cheyenne, 
Wyoming. This deviating “loop” was the result of the 
strong representations of the then Governor of Colo¬ 
rado, whose interest in the transcontinental project was 
great and whose desire to see Colorado’s Capital included 
on the route was prompted undoubtedly from an admir¬ 
able effort to promote the advantage of Colorado. The 
establishment of a route for any other reason than that 
of basic efficiency, however desirable from the stand¬ 
point of Colorado, was wrong from the standpoint of 
those who had in hand the great task of selecting a route 
which would stand because it was right. 

The other mistake was made at the urgent request of 
the then Governor (Spry) of Utah, who, while endors¬ 
ing fully the route of the highway west of Salt Lake City, 
urged that it be brought in from Evanston to Ogden and 
then south to Salt Lake City, instead of the now direct 
and shortest line through Parleys Canyon into Salt Lake 
City. The Governor was actuated in his effort by con¬ 
sideration for the interests of Ogden, naturally, and not 
by the same desire to facilitate through traffic that the 
Association had in mind. Ogden, like Denver, was nec¬ 
essarily shortly thereafter eliminated from the line of 
the Lincoln Way, fortunately before urgent requests 
from high places came for additional diverting, which, 
if carried to logical conclusions, would have ultimately 
effected the entire collapse of the plan. 

Great Pressure Early Exerted to Change Route 

The appeals to lengthen the Lincoln Way by devious 
windings which would take in various points of interest 
and cities of importance were extremely numerous. 


Page nineteen 


Laterals were urged on every pretext. It will be remem¬ 
bered that this was long before the establishment of any 
Governmental authority to take in charge this question 
of correlating interstate highway connections, and that 
the Association itself had no more power than that given 
its acts by the wisdom which those directing its efforts 
could put behind their decisions. 

Two urgent requests for changes in the route of the 
Lincoln Highway, which were contrary to the policies 
governing* its adoption, were of historic importance be¬ 
cause of the high sources from which they emanated, 
and because, in each instance, the Association was able 
to show the absolute soundness of its position; a position 
which it is now again endeavoring to establish. 

The first request was that of President Wilson that 
the Lincoln Highway be routed from Philadelphia by 
way of Washington to Gettysburg, the purpose being 
only the inclusion of the National Capital in the route. 
The President, upon the aims of the Association being 
explained and its basic policy of routing outlined, did 
not press his request. The second, and still more impor¬ 
tant request, because of its historic consequences, oc¬ 
curred when a strong effort was made from Marion, 
Ohio, to bring about a change in the Lincoln Way which 
would carry the route south through that community, 
a consummation devoutly to be wished by the alive and 
wide-awake business men of that community, who deter¬ 
mined to gain for their hustling city the advantages by 
that time known to accrue to cities along the Lincoln 
Way. Back of their efforts they secured the support and 
interest of then Senator, Warren G. Harding of 
Marion. 

Senator Harding Endorsed Association's Policies 

We state that this instance was of more importance 
than the first named, because in this case Senator Hard¬ 
ing came to Detroit, at the head of a large committee 
of his constituents, to urge upon the officials of the Asso¬ 
ciation the change of route desired by his fellow-towns¬ 
men. Upon hearing the principles again enunciated, he 
not only desisted from further efforts to bring about the 
removal of the Lincoln Highway from its more efficient 


Page twenty 


line north of Marion, but urged the active business men 
of his community to cease their efforts, advising them 
that they were in the wrong and that the Lincoln High¬ 
way Association was right in principle. 

At the risk of being tedious, Mr. Secretary, we have 
undertaken to build up for you, in this introduction, a 
picture of that armor plate of principle with which we 
sought to surround the Lincoln Memorial Highway; to 
endeavor to show how absolutely devoid of all consid¬ 
erations of local advantage is the standpoint of this 
Association, and how clearly that standpoint coincides 
with the one which is necessarily adopted by yourself 
when you undertake to judge between the merits of the 
various routes under discussion in the West. 

We have sought to establish for ourselves, before 
undertaking to discuss the problem at issue, a certain 
high plane of intent and purpose, which we feel is most 
necessary before we can hope to impress you with what 
we have; to say, which may be at considerable variance 
with other pictures of the situation presented to you with 
the very best intentions of even-handed justice, but 
which must necessarily carry some color of bias due to 
interests vitally affected. 

The: Association's Disinterested Position 

We wish to establish that we have no interests to be 
affected by your decision in connection with this western 
route controversy, one way or the other. It may be 
maintained that we have a biased interest in considering 
the problem now, which we did not have in 1913, because 
of our financial investment in the improvement of one 
of the routes under consideration in the problem now 
before you. The possibility of this bias, however, we 
wish you would disregard, as we expect to present sepa¬ 
rately and entirely aside from the basic arguments of 
policy and route strategy, our suggestion as to the con¬ 
servation of our financial interests in one of the routes, 
should, for any reason, the picture we are about to pre¬ 
sent on an entirely unbiased basis prove to be uncon¬ 
vincing, and a decision returned favorable to a route 
upon which our funds are not invested. We present a 


Page twenty-one 


Brief for the route of the Lincoln Way solely because 
we are convinced that it is right. 

The basic principles upon which the Lincoln Way was 
laid out, and to which, with such difficulty and care, the 
Association has adhered for ten years, are the same 
principles which will govern the picture of the road 
situation west of Salt Lake City we propose to present 
to you. This picture has not changed since 1913. 

The Development of the Route 

We have, as briefly as possible, indicated how the Lin¬ 
coln Way came into being, and wish now to indicate how 
its improvement rapidly developed and early proved a 
dollars-and-cents value to the communities traversed, 
which brought about an increasingly ardent effort in 
many states to divert it from its originally selected 
course to one more profitable to the local interests seek¬ 
ing to divert it. 

Following the proclamation of the Highway began the 
long grind in the way of securing public interest and 
official attention, the concentration of funds and the 
gradual co-ordinating of the local roads, and the 
re-locations too numerous to mention which, in detail, 
gradually brought toward a reality a connecting high¬ 
way between the two coasts, where had been but a line 
on the map. 

Rapid Progress in Construction 

Some localities and even entire states were aggressive 
to a high degree, being early imbued with the importance 
of the undertaking. The press of the nation saw the 
great value of this main-line, backbone highway, and 
the object lesson it taught, and early opened its columns 
to a full consideration of the road’s necessity, advan¬ 
tages and purpose. Courageous tourists embarked on 
the novel motor car journey overland under conditions 
of travel none too good. Year by year this travel in¬ 
creased, while road conditions improved astonishingly, 
forcing a betterment of accommodations for the con¬ 
stantly increasing number of travelers, whose business 
began to be a material factor in the communities along 
the route. The road became of maximum importance 


Page twenty-two 


throughout its entire length; the Lincoln Highway be¬ 
came an entity between the two coasts, and gradually 
with national approval came to be looked upon as “The 
Main Street of the Nation.” This rapid progress to¬ 
ward establishment would have been impossible if, in the 
main, the location of the route had not been fixed by gov¬ 
erning basic principles originally carefully observed and 
obvious to all as right and just. 

Increasing Travel Impressed Value of Route 

as Local Asset 

As a fixed main artery across the nation, the Lincoln 
Way became in the East and Middle West the inter-con¬ 
necting road to everywhere! In the West it became the 
main-line route to the National Parks, and to the Pacific 
Coast as a whole, through that vast region south of the 
Columbia and north of the Colorado Rivers. The 
unusual travel the route began to receive, the unusual 
amount of improvement concentrated upon it, and the 
exceedingly unusual amount of public attention directed 
toward it as a result of continuous effective national pub¬ 
licity, increased the efforts to divert its course for local 
or sectional profit. What had been agreed upon unani¬ 
mously by all states traversed became gradually a ques¬ 
tion for controversy in some. 


Page twenty-three 


CHAPTER II 

THE ROUTE SITUATION IN UTAH 

W ITH an understanding of the national picture of 
the situation as it has presented itself in general 
to the Lincoln Highway Association, and after consid¬ 
ering the actuating purposes and principles of the organ¬ 
ization which directed and promoted the Lincoln High¬ 
way route, which, in every state save one, has been 
finally selected as a portion of the Federal highway sys¬ 
tem and has received the most active co-operation from 
successive administrations for ten years, we should point 
out why, in our opinion, a special situation has developed 
in Utah requiring the particular consideration of your 
Department and an unusually intensive study to bring 
out the facts. 

Why a Route 'Controversy” in Utah? 

Why a controversy in Utah, when in every other state 
between the two coasts the Lincoln Way route is cordial¬ 
ly endorsed? Why a controversy as to the route in 
Utah in 1922 and 1923 when the route in Utah, as in 
every other state, had been cordially endorsed by the 
State of Utah from 1913 to 1921? 

Among other matters, we feel it our particular duty to 
provide you with information on this point, which is one 
of those important considerations which do not naturally 
fall to engineers to investigate. 

Confusing Differences of Opinion Now 

The Lincoln Highway “controversy,” as the discus¬ 
sion of the location of the road west of Salt Lake City 
has been denominated, is the result of an effort to recon¬ 
cile differences of opinion by argument. Not differ¬ 
ences of opinion alone between the State of Utah or its 
Road Department and the Lincoln Highway Associa- 


Page twenty-four 


tion, but differences of opinion between the States of 
Utah and Nevada; differences of opinion between the 
present administration of the State of Utah and the two 
preceding administrations; differences of opinion be¬ 
tween the State Highway Department of Utah and the 
County Commissioners of Tooele County, Utah; and 
differences between the existing State Highway Com¬ 
mission and previous State Highway Commissions. 

With such a confusing series of differences; when 
even those presumed to be in the same camp differ dia¬ 
metrically with the passing of time, it is not surprising 
that the “controversy” should have become complicated 
to a degree which in the West, because of feeling aroused, 
no longer permits of clear presentment of the original 
problem and basis of difference. 

Route Met with Official Approval to 1921 

You will understand, Mr. Secretary, that the petty 
controversies developed incidental to the establishment 
of a route west of Salt Lake City, as everywhere else 
along the Lincoln Way, failed of official sanction previ¬ 
ous to 1921. Even then sectional interests in Utah had 
been a year in overcoming the present administration’s 
originally friendly attitude. Up to 1921 the State High¬ 
way Departments and the Governors of Utah had been 
in full agreement with the Association’s findings as to 
the route to be improved in western Utah. 

There has been so much said by the present Utah ad¬ 
ministration in regard to this Association’s alleged ef¬ 
forts to dictate to the state a route which the state does 
not and never has wished, that perhaps it would be well 
here to show finally that there is no basis whatsoever for 
any charge of attempted dictation on the part of this or¬ 
ganization—to show that the controversy is of very re¬ 
cent origin, developing, in fact, since January 1st, 1921. 

That the Lincoln Highway Association has ever at¬ 
tempted to arbitrarily dictate the route in Utah, con¬ 
trary to the wishes of the state, is no more true than 
would be the same statement in regard to the route in 
any of the other ten states through which it passes and 
wherein the utmost degree of co-operation, as has been 


Page twenty-five 


shown, has for ten years been the rule between the Asso¬ 
ciation and the state governments under varying admin¬ 
istrations. 

History of the Lincoln Way Route in Utah 

In August, 1913, the results of long route investiga¬ 
tion across the continent were laid before the Governors 
of the states traversed at a conference held at Colorado 
Springs, Colorado. The tentative route of the Lincoln 
Way was submitted in map form. Governor William 
Spry, of Utah, and Governor Tasker L. Oddie, of Nev¬ 
ada, were present, along with Governors of other states 
crossed by the proposed Lincoln Highway and partici¬ 
pated in the general discussion of routing which took 
place. 

Governor Oddie of Nevada approved and endorsed 
the route across his state as a wise one and stated that it 
would soon be declared a State Highway. 

Governor Spry's Wishes Followed 

Governor Spry suggested, after the meeting, the de¬ 
sirability of entering Utah via Echo and Weber Can¬ 
yons and running into Ogden and south to Salt Lake 
City, rather than the shorter route at present followed 
through Parleys Canyon direct to Salt Lake City. In 
other words, the only objection he voiced to the original 
route selected had to do with the section east of Salt Lake 
City and, in accordance with his request, the Lincoln 
Highway was routed into Ogden and south to Salt Lake 
City. No dictation there by the Association! He ap¬ 
proved of the route west of .Salt Lake City. 

Note the following wire addressed to the Association, 
on September 13, 1913, by the Governor, one month 
after the Colorado Springs meeting: 

“In view of decision announced at Colorado Springs 
that Lincoln Highway will not be constructed via 
Price, I urge the building of the Highway through 
Utah via Echo and Weber Canyons, Ogden, Salt Lake 
City, Tooele and Ibapah . and zvill be glad to co-oper¬ 
ate so far as possible to that end." 

“William Spry." 


Page twenty-six 


In a long letter to Governor William Spry, on the 
same date his wire was received, Henry B. Joy, then 
President of the Lincoln Highway Association, accepted 
the Governor's recommendation and the Highway was 
routed via Ogden, subject to minor shortenings which 
might be possible upon more elaborate investigation. 
Years later it was changed back to the more direct route 
originally selected east of Salt Lake City. 

Careful Study Given All Possible Utah Routes 

The problem in Utah and Nevada was a difficult one 
from a physical and financial point of view. The Asso¬ 
ciation set about to cope with it and its officials traveled 
every route possible, conferred with every individual and 
organization, in those states, familiar with the country 
in an endeavor to see if the difficulties could not be made 
easier. 

In Nevada, matters progressed naturally—straighten¬ 
ings and betterments occurred as time passed. In Utah 
matters waited. Every area was inspected and surveyed 
by officials of the Association many times, at a cost of 
thousands of dollars, profiles were taken and the routes 
were given careful study at various times of the year, in¬ 
cluding mid-winter. Years went by and finally in the 
spring of 1918 ideas crystallized and a shortened route 
seemed possible of immediate completion by Utah, if the 
Association could extend financial aid. At that time 
Federal aid was totally inadequate and it was realized 

that other outside assistance was essential if a route were 

* 

to be improved across the desert waste in Tooele County. 

A route had been pointed out by residents of that coun¬ 
ty which saved some fifty miles, providing a mountain 
pass could be opened in addition to the “desert bridge" 
required. This route, which accorded with Governor 
Spry's original recommendation, after a long investiga¬ 
tion, was agreed upon by everyone as the final and only 
wise route to be constructed as a link in the road from 
Salt Lake City into California. 

Governor Bamberger Favored Lincoln Way 

In 1918 the Honorable Simon Bamberger was Gov¬ 
ernor of Utah, and the final negotiations of the Associa- 


POSTAL TELEGRAPHSABLE COMPANY 


FMGHT LETTERGRAM 

^ TNC POSTAL TCi.CC.ftAPW-CABl.£ COMPANY • INCOPPO*ATKD) TRANSPUT* AND DCUVI MS THIS N-CHT LCTTCRGNAM SUBuCCT TO TKC 
UTTlRuHAMjfJ Tr RMS AND CONDITIONS PfltNTCO ON THC BACK OF TWIG BLANK. CLARENCE H. MACKAY, PtttSIDCNT. 



TERMS AND CONDITION* PRINTED ON THE BACK OF TWIG BLANK. 

receive:© at 


Delivery Number 

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INDEPENDENT COMPETITIVE PROGRESSIVE 


4-278 


13chxa 46 n.l. 


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sV • 

Lincoln Highway Assn, 


Fait lake Utah n 9 p 13-13 


ft- J-'Tf 


/ 


/'W.;- /- 


Detroit- 


Xn view of decision announced at coloradosprings that lincoln highway 
will pot be constructed via Price I urge the building 
of the highway through Utah via Scho Weber canyon Ogden 
Salt la*e Tooele , and Iba-tah a nd will be glad to cooperate 
as far as possible to that end. 

Governor 

I 



Governor Spry's message of September ij , /p/j, urging the 
present route of the Lincoln Way west of Salt Lake City 



Western Utah , showing the old Lincoln Way and the present 
route via Rush Valley , Fisher Pass and the Goodyear Cut-off 





































































Page twenty-seven 


tion in connection with the route to be improved were 
with him. At that time the Governor was ex-officio 
head of the Road Commission which was not then ap¬ 
pointed, but by law consisted, in addition to the Governor 
as Chairman, of the Secretary of State, the Attorney 
General, the State Auditor and the State Engineer. The 
Commission could not act without the approval of its 
Chairman, the Governor, of course. 

Utah Road Commission Agreed On Wisdom of 
Route Finally Selected 

Let us see how the Utah State Road Commission, 
comprising the highest governing officials of the state 
in 1918, referred to the route of the Lincoln Highway 
in its unanimously adopted resolution of March 21st, 
1918, which now forms a part of the records of the 
Utah State Highway Commission. Here is how it spoke 
of the route which the state officials now endeavor to in¬ 
dicate is arbitrarily, dictatorily and with sinister deter¬ 
mination to infringe upon the state’s rights, put for¬ 
ward by the Lincoln Highway Association: 

" WHEREAS, It is agreed that in constructing 
these two necessary links in the route selected, and 
thereby eliminating some fifty miles of the worst road 
conditions now existing on the transcontinental high¬ 
way, the Utah State Road Commission will accomplish 
a work of the greatest benefit, not only to the State of 
Utah, but to the United States, in linking this great, 
national, strategic highway, with its resources and its 
people, to the states on the east and west and to the 
Atlantic and Pacific Coasts, thereby complying zvith 
the recommendations of the Council of National De¬ 
fense , in bringing the Utah section of the Lincoln 
Highway into proper condition, and 

" WHEREAS, We see in this construction, nozv 
more than ever before, the keystone of the Lincoln 
Highway arch, the most necessary step to be taken to 
provide a through route of an American highway 
transportation system, and 

{< WHEREAS, Through our patriotic desire and 
support we believe that this construction zvill provide 


Page twenty-eight 


the only immediate opportunity for the Lincoln 
Highway Association and the State Road Commis¬ 
sion of Utah to co-operate in achieving a result of 
vast national importance, and 

“WHEREAS, The State Road Commission of 
Utah is willing to accept the money tendered, in con¬ 
sideration of the fact that the said State Road Com¬ 
mission shall be allowed to make the construction re¬ 
quested and required and in full compliance with the 
general road policy of the State of Utah, 

“NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, 
etc. 

The emphasis we have inserted merely to impress the 
more pertinent references which stress the co-operation 
between the Association and the State of Utah, the need 
for the construction and the fact that the state itself 
would do the work—a work which was “in full compli¬ 
ance with the general road policy of the state.” 

It is unnecessary to go further and quote here those 
sections of this same resolution which solemnly agree 
to accomplish certain things in consideration of $125,- 
000.00 cash, paid to the State of Utah by the Lincoln 
Highway Association. The full resolution will be found 
in Appendix “A.” The point here is merely to clearly 
show that there has been no question of dictation or 
of an effort to force upon the state a route selected 
by the Association as against one selected by the State 
Highway Department. 

The fact is, the present route of the Lincoln Highway 
in Utah was wisely and with very deliberate considera¬ 
tion selected by Utah and by the Lincoln Highway Asso¬ 
ciation after five years of investigation and discussion 
as to the best route, the route to be improved, and the 
one upon which joint funds would be expended. Utah 
spent some $60,000.00 to $80,000.00 of its own funds 
on the Lincoln Way desert crossing before it was forced 
to abandon the work in 1919 due to lack of funds and 
not to any change of policy; which was indicated by the 
Governor’s urgent appeal to Mr. Seiberling for more 
funds to enable completion of the work. 



Page twenty-nine 


No “Dictation” of Route Ever Attempted 

We trust that we have demonstrated that the point of 
the “controversy” has nothing whatever to do with any 
question of imposing an outside will upon the State of 
Utah in the matter of route selection. The fact is, the 
controversy has entirely turned upon the point as to 
whether or not the subsequent administration of the 
state would carry out the plan so wisely and unanimously 
agreed upon in 1918, or whether it should completely re¬ 
verse the state’s position and, disregarding all of its 
agreements, its expenditures and its past accomplish¬ 
ments, turn from one-half completed road to another in 
still worse condition and endeavor to bring it to comple¬ 
tion, while all through traffic headed for the west coast 
waited years for any half-way satisfactory roadbed 
across the Grept Salt Lake Desert. 

We trust we have also demonstrated that both Gov¬ 
ernor Spry and Governor Bamberger approved the 
Lincoln Highway west of Salt Lake City. 

Why Has the Attitude of Utah Changed? 

Why a difference of opinion now, since a new admin¬ 
istration has taken over the reins of government in 
Utah? 

The problem of today is exactly the problem of ten 
years ago. We have more light on it now, that is the 
only difference. The conditions are the same. The 
topography of Utah, Nevada, and California remains 
unchanged. The viewpoint of the Lincoln Highway 
Association remains unchanged in spite of the vast 
amount of additional data it has developed. The only 
change lies in the attitude of the State of Utah. Let us 
see if we cannot disclose the reasons for this change of 
attitude on the part of this state which, once found, will 
establish the reason for the “controversy” and aid mate¬ 
rially in determining the proper solution of the problem. 

The Business Importance of Tourist Travel 

Much agitation in connection with the “controversy” 
under discussion has emanated from California. This 
agitation, which concerns itself with what route travel 


i 


Page thirty 


across Utah and Nevada should follow long before it 
reaches the California line, indicates the importance of 
that travel as related in some manner to California, even 
though the routes under consideration might become one 
before the California line was reached. 

The strategy of the road situation west of Salt Lake 
City largely affects those areas now beginning to fully 
appreciate the present and potential value of motor 
tourist business. The Automobile Club of Southern 
California, at Los Angeles, estimated that visiting 
motorists spent $43,575,000.00 in the southern half of 
California in 1922. The Denver Tourist Bureau and 
the Colorado State Highway Commission estimated that 
tourists spent $40,000,000.00 in Colorado in 1922. The 
Utah State Automobile Association headquarters at 
Salt Lake City, estimated that $3,000,000.00 was spent 
in Utah by motorists from out of the state last year. 
With these typical estimates from the western states area 
in mind, the importance of the possible routing of the 
main streams of tourist travel through certain sec¬ 
tions of the West can be easily understood. That the 
interests of sections bidding for tourists’ business— 
the same business—should be opposed, is only natural. 
That those sections having natural attractions for tour¬ 
ist traffic should exploit these attractions to the greatest 
degree possible, is also natural. The rival attractions of 
various sections of the West will from now on be adver¬ 
tised and brought to the attention of the motor traveling 
public perennially, and this competition will also serve to 
benefit the West as a whole. 

Vast Areas Affected by Routes Built 

Now, however, this sectional competition for tourist 
business and dollars, instead of confining itself entirely to 
the exploitation of natural advantages, has, to some ex¬ 
tent, concerned itself with the strategic advantage to be 
gained through the construction or non-construction of 
highways leading through certain areas. The vast dis¬ 
tances to be traversed by highways in the West, together 
with the relatively meager road funds, naturally make 
possible the first opening of but one road between any 
two important main points. Which will be selected to be 


Page thirty-one 


opened first with the funds available is, therefore, a very 
vital question to large areas west of the Rockies; a ques¬ 
tion which can well mean hundreds of millions of dollars 
in new money, as well as a very large “head start” in 
development and settlement, before the gradual comple¬ 
tion of a general system of highways puts all sections on 
a relatively equal basis to bid for the tourist traffic. The 
time element is now a very important one. The strategy 
of this western road situation now all revolves around 
the development of the road west of Salt Lake City. 

Salt Lake Is Gateway to Most of Pacific Coast 

Into Salt Lake City must flow all traffic, headed for a 
thousand miles of the Pacific Coast north of the Mexican 
border, traversing the central belt across the United 
States and crossing the West north of the Mohave Desert 
and south of the Cascades. 

A route widely known as The Yellowstone Trail from 
Chicago, via Milwaukee, Minneapolis and Aberdeen 
through Montana and across northern Idaho into Seattle 
or Portland, via Pendleton and Spokane, well serves the 
Pacific Northwest and tourists can get through on this 
route during the summer months. 

The southern route, known as the National Old Trail, 
from Kansas City via Trinidad, Colo., Albuquerque, 
N. M., Flagstaff, Ariz., and Needles, Calif., into Los An¬ 
geles via Barstow, is the winter route and, in fact, can be 
utilized most of the year by travel heading for southern 
California, although during the summer months the jour¬ 
ney through 400 miles of the Mohave Desert on this route 
is almost a test of endurance against the torrid heat. 

Lincoln Way Carries Greatest Traffic West 

The central route is the Lincoln Highway leading into 
Salt Lake City. It leads most directly on into central 
California, is improved to a very satisfactory condition 
for 2,450 miles between New York City and Salt Lake 
City and carries by far the greater bulk of traffic across 
the continent. Official estimates compiled by the Utah 
State Automobile Association at Salt Lake City, during 
1922, indicated that 23,260 motorists arrived there from 
the east, 71% of this total coming in over the Lincoln 
Highway. The traffic which comes in from the east over 


Page thirty-two 


other routes does so in a roundabout way, arriving in 
Salt Lake City from the north, for example, by coming 
down from Yellowstone Park or arriving there from 
Denver after traversing the 11,306-foot summit of 
Berthoud Pass or the 10,430-foot summit of Tennessee 
Pass in the highly scenic region of Colorado. 

This traffic reaching Salt Lake City, unlike the traffic 
on The Yellowstone Trail or the National Old Trail men¬ 
tioned, can at that point divert and, without materially 
lengthening the journey to the Pacific Northwest or to 
southern California over either of the other routes, 
reach those regions via connecting roads. At Salt Lake 
City, traffic can turn north to Pocatello, Idaho, and go 
via Boise to Walla Walla. Or this traffic can at Salt 
Lake City turn south and follow the “Arrowhead Trail” 
through Provo and Beaver, Utah, to St. George and via 
Las Vegas, Nevada, strike the National Old Trail at or 
near Goffs, Calif., then going into Los Angeles. 

Great Salt Lake Desert the Controlling Factor 

Confronting the travel which reaches Salt Lake City 
bound for any point on the Pacific Coast north of Los 
Angeles or south of Portland lies the Great Salt Lake 
Desert. This must be crossed by travel desiring to reach 
central California most directly. It extends for 150 
miles north and south and Salt Lake City is situated di¬ 
rectly east of its center. This desert is a great natural 
barrier to travel of any kind—foot, horseback, wagon, 
motor or rail. The existence or absence of roads across 
it controls the destination of a great volume of west¬ 
bound traffic. The condition of the road across this 
desert may thus become basically the cause of loss or 
gain to large areas, into which travel may be diverted or 
from which it can be restrained from entering, by the 
degree of passability of the “desert bridge.” 

The failure on the part of the State of Utah to pro¬ 
vide any satisfactory road across this desert has neces¬ 
sarily had its beneficial effect upon both southern Utah 
and southern California. By the same token the artifi¬ 
cial closing of a road west of Salt Lake City, and the 
necessary diversion of all traffic through central and 
southern Utah into southern California, operates to the 
very great disadvantage of northern California. 


Page thirty-three 


Sectional Interests Involved 

Northern California naturally, therefore, strongly 
urges upon Utah the opening of a road west across the 
Great Salt Lake Desert. But she is very particular about 
where the travel is going to cross this desert. North¬ 
ern California’s interests lie in having the desert cross¬ 
ing so located that once tourists embark on the journey 
over that crossing they not only can get to northern 
California, but they cannot get to southern California. 
Northern California, therefore, at the risk of delaying 
the improvement of any road west across the desert from 
Salt Lake City, has for several years actively agitated 
for the construction of a road across the desert which 
would not permit a connection with Ely, Nevada, where 
through traffic would have an opportunity to divert for 
southern California, if it so desired, even after leaving 
Salt Lake City. 

Northern and central Nevada have obvious interest in 
this question. Central Nevada and the territory north 
of Las Vegas and south of Tonopah have urged upon 
the State of Utah the construction of a link from Salt 
Lake City to Ely, as that improvement would send the 
flow of west-bound traffic either through central Nevada 
or through that belt traversed by the road known as The 
Midland Trail, from Ely southwest into California, via 
Tonopah. Northern Nevada has been equally interested 
in an endeavor to persuade Utah to build a link connect¬ 
ing Salt Lake City with Wells, Nev., which would send 
the flood of through traffic through the communities 
along the Southern Pacific Railroad. 

Conflicting Desires of Sections Have Delayed 

Road Improvement 

With this brief picture of the sectional interests above 
mentioned presenting their conflicting desires to the 
State of Utah and wrangling over their unsuspecting 
tourist victims of many years to come, we can leave this 
situation. It has been touched upon here only to present 
to you the reason for the “controversy.” We doubt if 
anywhere else in the United States there exists a road 
situation so strategic that a short link in one state may 


Page thirty-four 


mean, through its construction or abandonment, so many 
millions of dollars of future business to other areas hun¬ 
dreds of miles away. Having presented a picture of 
these conflicting interests which, only since the develop¬ 
ment of large and profitable volumes of through travel, 
have affected the situation through their disputes, we 
can leave it. These conflicting interests have already ac¬ 
complished several years of delay which is now “spilt 
milk/’ Before leaving this subject, however, we can 
point out that co-operation between these conflicting in¬ 
terests is impracticable and beyond expectation, although 
the completion of the Lincoln Highway as originally laid 
out would give all the various competing areas greater 
returns from the visiting tourists than any of them now 
get or ever would get through the carrying out of a pol¬ 
icy designed to provide special consideration for a favor¬ 
ed area at the expense of other areas and to the detri¬ 
ment of a majority of the tourist travel. 

Utah Frankly States: No Need for Desert Road 

It should be noted in passing that there is not a west¬ 
ern area involved in this “controversy” which can press 
its argument in this matter without acknowledged bias. 
This particularly applies to Utah, which, in fact, readily 
admits its strong desire to develop the central and south¬ 
ern sections of the state by forcing through them the 
flow of tourist traffic, which, should an adequate road be 
opened up west of Salt Lake City, could pass through 
the state quickly en route to California. See Appendix 
(G). 

Where Does the Traffic Want To Go? 

We have touched upon the volume of travel which, 
even in 1922, with extremely unsatisfactory road condi¬ 
tions west of Salt Lake City, reached that point from the 
east headed for the Coast. A consideration of the first 
construction of one road west of Salt Lake City should 
be preceded, we believe, by a consideration of where the 
large majority of this traffic wishes to go. We hold this 
to be self-evident; that a road should be built to serve the 
travel rather than that the travel should be forced to 
follow a road. 


Page thirty-five 


The records kept in Salt Lake City, which community 
is keenly alive to the value of tourist traffic and has for 
years been stimulating it and lending it such services 
as were possible through the dissemination of free in¬ 
formation at a Bureau where records have been kept, 
indicate that over 90% of the west-bound traffic reach¬ 
ing the Utah Capital is headed for California. See 
table p. 52 and Appendix (H). 

The most careful estimates made in Salt Lake City, 
Ely, Nev., St. George, Utah, and Los Angeles, indicate 
that at the lowest estimate more than half of the travel 
reaching Salt Lake City from the east is headed for 
southern California. 

None of the facts, so essential to the picture, so far 
established have had anything in common with engi¬ 
neering investigation. After having endeavored to 
show our own disinterestedness and prove the obvious 
self-interest which has developed the “controversy” and 
after having presented with some care the basic prin¬ 
ciples which have actuated our investigation for ten 
years, we can now proceed to state “the Problem” as 
we see it and undertake a consideration of it along lines 
somewhat similar to those followed by your engineers 
in consideration of the problem they undertook to solve. 


Page thirty-six 


CHAPTER III 

WHAT IS THE PROBLEM? 

P ERHAPS what we have so far stated may indicate 
why the statement of the real problem to be solved 
by your decision is not so simple as may at first seem 
to be the case. “The Problem'’ involves many major 
considerations, omitted entirely, and no doubt properly, 
from consideration in the report of your engineers. In 
fact, there is not one problem to be solved, but several, 
among which is the problem of determining what con¬ 
siderations will govern the selection of the route first to 
be improved with government aid west of Salt Lake 
City. It will be noted that we said “first.” The time 
element is a very important one in this matter and an 
element which in the engineering report is entirely dis¬ 
regarded. 


Importance of Determining True Problem 

At this juncture, in presenting to you the most im¬ 
portant matter of all, i. e., “the Problem” which will 
be considered and which we feel is the true problem to 
be set before you for settlement, we must strengthen our 
position by making clear to you why we believe the prob¬ 
lem set to be solved by your engineers is an incorrect 
statement of the real problem and why, therefore, pro¬ 
ceeding from a mistaken premise, it was possible to 
develop, particularly while disregarding many aspects of 
the situation, a report which reaches conclusions dia¬ 
metrically opposed to those we will reach by the use of 
much the same data. At only a few points will we take 
issue with the report and then only when we feel it abso¬ 
lutely essential because of wide variations in data or in 
method of approaching points at issue. 

Your Engineers’ Statement of the Problem 

The problem which the engineers of the Bureau of 
Public Roads set themselves to solve, or which they were 


Page thirty-seven 


given to solve, is stated to be: “To determine which of 
two main routes connecting Main Forks, Utah, with 
Wadsworth, Nevada, is to be named as the primary Fed¬ 
eral aid route and which as the secondary. To know 
whether or not the total length of 7% Federal aid mile¬ 
age mentioned may be reduced by making any portion of 
highway, especially the section crossing the Great Salt 
Lake Desert, common to both routes. If found advisable 
and practical to have a unit common to both north and 
south highways, then where should that common route 
lie?” It is added that a part of the work of the investi¬ 
gators is to recommend a practicable routing for the 
entire length of both highways across western Utah, and 
Nevada. 

We submit that the first part of that “problem” is a 
question which is largely immaterial. It makes not an 
iota of difference to anyone in Utah or Nevada or any¬ 
where else as to which of the two routes between the 
points named, or which of any other two routes, is or¬ 
dained as “primary” or which as “secondary” highway 
under the technical meaning of these terms conveyed by 
the Federal Highway Act. 

No Real Importance in Technical Designations 

Such elaborate investigation would never have been 
required to merely answer the question as to which of 
two main roads should be named “primary” and which 
“secondary.” You are familiar with the types of road 
largely constructed in the West; types which are built 
identically on either “primary” or “secondary” roads. 
The point we are making is that no one interested in the 
controversy regarding routing west of Salt Lake City 
cares which road is “primary” and which is “secondary.” 
The only point involved is whether or not both roads 
shall be on the Federal aid systems of Utah and Nevada 
and, if it is worth while for them both to be on the sys¬ 
tems, which should be opened first. Again we say that 
your engineers’ statement of the problem disregards the 
time element which is one of the most important ele¬ 
ments of the problem as we shall shortly state it. 

In selecting Main Forks, Utah, as the eastern ter¬ 
minal of the problem, your engineers were correct. It is 


Page thirty-eight 


at Main Forks that the roads divide, not to again meet 
(if the shortest route is to be followed) until Sacra¬ 
mento, Calif., is reached. But the selection of Wads¬ 
worth, Nevada, as the western limit to the problem, it 
becomes obvious, is purely arbitrary. Wadsworth is not 
the western end of the problem at all, if the idea is to 
select the eastern and western limits of two roughly 
paralleling routes between Salt Lake City and central 
California and to compare their length, population, rise 
and fall, etc., etc. 

Comparison of Possible: Roads to Reno Needless 

We do not admit that such a comparison of two paral¬ 
leling routes of travel, each beginning and ending at the 
same point, necessarily establishes which road should be 
built, or even which road should be built first. But we 
are making clear here that even should such a compar¬ 
ison of the two main routes be decided upon as a means 
of determining which should be built, or built first, the 
proper terminals are not selected. Why? Here allow 
us to refer you to a map affixed to the inside back cover 
of this Brief. 

It will be noted from this map that the route referred 
to in the engineering report as the “Northern Route” 
leaves the Lincoln Highway at Main Forks, Utah; that 
the two routes traverse Nevada at a distance of approxi¬ 
mately 100 miles apart and, for the traveler whose west¬ 
ern objective is Reno, join again at Wadsworth. How¬ 
ever, there is no reason whatsoever for assuming Reno 
to be the western terminus or objective of the travel 
leaving Salt Lake City. It is not. The objective of the 
travel leaving Salt Lake City for the west is California, 
and, if we propose to compare relative distances, grades, 
etc., between two routes to California, we have no reason 
to penalize one route and present an undue advantage to 
the other by selecting a western terminus for both which 
one route need not traverse at all. 

It will be noted from the map that, while one branch 
of the Lincoln Highway leads from Fallon, Nevada, to 
Reno and north of Lake Tahoe by way of Truckee into 
Sacramento, which might be called “the Crossroads of 



A view of the excellent concrete Lincoln Highway constructed by 
the State of Utah west of Salt Lake City and east of Main Forks 



Tourists on the newly completed Goodyear Cut-off across the 
Great Salt Lake Desert in 79/9. Note the height of the grade 












Page thirty-nine 


California,” another branch leaves Fallon, Nevada (32.6 
miles east of Wadsworth) and runs directly into the 
State Capital at Carson City (30 miles south of Reno) 
and thence over the Sierras south of Lake Tahoe and 
into Sacramento by way of Placerville, the old route of 
the pioneers. 

Sacramento True Western Terminus of Problem 

Sacramento is the point in central California to which, 
from far and wide, comes all of the traffic from Califor¬ 
nia which will follow the central route eastward to Salt 
Lake City. It is for the same reason the diversion point 
in California for that traffic reaching the state over any 
road from Salt Lake City west and headed for either 
San Francisco, Los Angeles or Portland. By any or 
every process of reasoning Sacramento becomes the west 
terminus of any problem which is to be considered by 
the system followed by your engineers. 

We do not consider this misplacing of the western end 
of the problem to be of very vital importance, for even if 
the problem were stated as follows it would be incorrect: 
“To determine which of two main routes connecting 
Main Forks, Utah, with Sacramento, Calif., should be 
named as the primary Federal aid route, and which as 
the secondary.” For, as we before stated, it makes no 
particular difference which road is “primary” and 
which is “secondary.” That is not the point. 

The placing of the western terminal of your engineers' 
problem correctly at Sacramento, however, would, as 
you can quickly see, vitally affect practically every con¬ 
sideration in connection with which your engineers have 
elaborately collected comparative data. The moving of 
the western end of the problem another 180 miles farther 
west and onto the far side of the Sierra Nevada range 
does some complicated things to the charts of costs, dis¬ 
tances, rise and fall, etc., etc., supplied in your engi¬ 
neers' report. 

However, all of this is more or less immaterial as 
these tables of distance, cost, rise and fall, valuation and 
population, etc., are not the controlling factors in the 
decision to be reached anyhow. In fact, they have only 


Page forty 


a minor bearing on the question which is a much broader 
one of general basic policy and route strategy, infinitely 
more complex than the problem your engineers’ system 
undertakes to solve and made even more complex than 
it naturally would be, by the many divergent interests 
deliberately endeavoring to befog the issue. 

We must also take exception to that section of the en¬ 
gineers’ statement of the problem devoted to the pos¬ 
sibility of saving mileage on the Federal aid system. The 
aim should be to find the road first needed to serve the 
greatest part of the traffic, not to discover where mile¬ 
age can be omitted from the system at the expense of 
traffic service. 

The Problem as the Association Sees It 

Let us now try and formulate what we believe to be 
the problem, or problems, before you. 

Before stating the problem, it is necessary to state 
the assumptions upon which it is based. 

Our Basic Assumptions 

We base our statement of the problem on the follow¬ 
ing assumptions: 

First—That serving the best interests of the through 
traffic is the determining factor. It is admitted by 
everyone, including your engineers, that the local traffic 
on any of the routes involved is so light as to be of al¬ 
most no consequence. If only the local traffic was to 
have been considered this problem would not have devel¬ 
oped. It is the great through flow of “foreign cars” 
which deserves the greater consideration. 

Second—That the time element is of primary import¬ 
ance. By this we mean that theoretical estimates of what 
can be brought about in fifteen years or so has small bear¬ 
ing on the immediate problem, in view of the very urgent 
demand for a connecting through highway now and the 
vast volume of waiting traffic. 

Third—That two roads will be built across Nevada 
anyhow and promptly. This is assumed also by the en¬ 
gineering report which shows that the road from Wells 
to Wadsworth and the road from Ely to Wadsworth will 
be built, regardless of which is established as a “pri- 


Page forty-one 


mary“ road. The engineering report also makes no dis¬ 
crimination as to the way in which the two roads will 
be improved. They will both certainly be built by the 
state with Federal aid, to a standard adequate to take 
care of the traffic now foreseen. 

We do not believe that any of the above assumptions 
are unreasonable and, later, after taking up a considera¬ 
tion of the problem, we will show why they are reason¬ 
able and sound. These assumptions permit of the fol¬ 
lowing possible definition of the problem: 

The True Problem Defined 

“What road between Main Forks, Utah, and Sacra¬ 
mento, Calif., is it the more important to open first for 
the through traffic, i. e., which road serves best the 
majority of through traffic headed west from Salt Lake 
City, whether headed for central or southern California, 
and which route can be more quickly put into practicable 
travelable condition? If the Southern Route through 
Ely is shown to be the route of first importance to serve 
the greatest volume of traffic, which route to Ely can be 
first and more economically opened for tourist travel, 
that by way of Ibapah or that by way of Wendover?” 

We contend and believe it is self-evident that it is 
much more important to determine upon a road which 
will best serve the majority of all traffic headed west 
from Salt Lake City than it is to determine upon a road 
to Reno. 

Let us briefly contrast the assumptions upon which 
our problem is based and the assumptions upon which 
the problem your engineers undertook to solve is based. 

Contrasting Assumptions 

The problem your engineers endeavor to solve is ob¬ 
viously based on the following assumptions: 

First—That the important thing is to determine the 
shortest, easiest, cheapest and most direct ultimate road 
to Reno from Salt Lake City. 

Second—That time or money does not enter into the 
problem, the point being: which road to Reno can, with 
all the money necessary to build it properly and com¬ 
pletely and with all future time to accomplish it in, re- 


Page forty-two 


suit in the expenditure of the least millions of dollars 
and the ultimate establishment of a road which can be 
traversed most quickly and at lowest cost. 

Third—That central Nevada requires no immediate 
road connection with Salt Lake City and, anyhow, it is 
more important to save Federal aid road mileage in 
Utah than in Nevada. 

The assumptions upon which our statement of the 
problem is based have been given. It is sufficient to state 
here only that we do not agree with any of the three 
assumptions upon which your engineers stated the prob¬ 
lem. We maintain that it is not particularly important 
to discover the best road to Reno from Salt Lake Citv, 
or the shortest, or the least expensive. We maintain 
that reaching Reno is not germane to the problem; that 
not one tourist in a hundred driving west from Salt 
Lake City is heading particularly for Reno. This tourist 
traffic is headed for California and, as we have previous¬ 
ly shown, more than half of it is headed for southern 
California. Reno does not enter into the problem, nor 
does Wadsworth. Those points are merely possible way- 
stations on the line of a possible route to one of the two 
great Pacific Coast objectives. 

Time and Money are Important Factors 

It is interesting to speculate upon what can be accom¬ 
plished in the way of constructing a finished road from 
Salt Lake City to Reno at some indefinite date in the 
future, assuming unlimited funds for the purpose, but 
we respectfully submit that the assumption of unlimited 
funds and indeterminate time for accomplishment is 
fallacious and in itself deposes the practicability of any 
conclusion based on such a premise. 

We further submit that not only is there no reason 
for seeking to save Utah mileage of road construction at 
the expense of additional unneeded road mileage in Nev¬ 
ada, but, if anything, it would be more fair to the states 
and more economical to the Government to save road 
mileage in Nevada at the expense of Utah. The Fed¬ 
eral government pays a much larger percentage of the 
cost of the construction of each mile of road in Nevada 


Page forty-three 


than it does in Utah. Also Utah with an area of 85,000 
square miles has a population of 450,000, while Nevada, 
with an area of 110,000 square miles, has a population 
of but 77,000. This, of course, is not a material factor; 
we cite it merely as an indication that at least the two 
states should be considered equally and no attempt made 
to conserve Federal aid mileage in Utah while adding to 
the necessary Federal aid system of Nevada. 

No doubt it was not possible for your engineers to 
adopt the assumptions upon which we found our state¬ 
ment of the problem, any more than it was possible for 
them to take into consideration broad questions of route 
strategy and of general basic policy in preparing their 
data. We realize that engineers are given engineering 
problems to solve and are not expected to concern them¬ 
selves with matters outside of the limits of the engineer¬ 
ing field. We wish to point out, however, how fallacious 
is a conclusion and a recommendation, based upon a con¬ 
sideration, no matter how detailed, of a problem incor¬ 
rectly stated and even then considered from but a few 
of its many important aspects. 

What We Propose to Prove 

We propose to show conclusively, not only that the 
problem is as we have stated it, but that the sound, clear 
facts of the case result in a solution of the problem dia¬ 
metrically opposed to the recommendation of your engi¬ 
neers. As we have pointed out, this difference in con¬ 
clusion is largely due to different assumptions and a dif¬ 
ferent basic premise and not largely from any difference 
or disagreement in regard to the statistical facts pre¬ 
sented in the report. However, we will find it necessary 
from time to time to point out what we believe to be in¬ 
accuracies in the facts stated in the report of your en¬ 
gineers and also, unfortunately, from time to time to 
direct attention to certain indications of an unconscious 
bias in the presentment of facts, which was perhaps the 
unavoidable result of a constant association in the secur¬ 
ing of data with those who were themselves, because 
of reasons we have pointed out, thoroughly biased, but, 
of course, not ready to admit that fact. 


Page forty-four 


The Soundness of Our Assumptions 

The engineering report devotes no space to presenting 
or establishing the soundness of its basic assumptions. 
We, having stated our conception of the problem, will 
now undertake, before presenting a solution based on 
information we have been accumulating for over ten 
years, to establish that sound foundation for our prem¬ 
ise which is essential if our conclusion is to be of any 
value whatsoever. 

If in proving our assumptions to be accurate, we at 
the same time disprove the assumptions upon which the 
problem your engineers were set to solve was based, it 
will become immediately clear that a very large propor¬ 
tion of the tabulated information and data compiled in 
the report submitted to you by your engineers is, insofar 
as a consideration of this matter is concerned, of an 
academic interest only. 

If travel wants to go from Boston to New York City, 
what effective good is accomplished by showing that a 
road can be built cheaper to Albany? That is an exag¬ 
gerated comparison, but it serves to impress the crux of 
the situation west of Salt Lake City. 

Our Assumptions Discussed 

We have stated our three basic assumptions; let us see 
whether they are sound. 

Our first assumption is that the governing factor in 
the determination of the first road to be opened west of 
Salt Lake City is that of serving the interests and de¬ 
sires of through travel. We believe that very little argu¬ 
ment or data is needed to prove this assumption accurate. 
It is an assumption which can be proven by data pre¬ 
sented in the report of your engineers. The total tribu¬ 
tary population along both routes considered by the engi¬ 
neering report—that is to say along a total of nearly 
1,000 miles of highway, plus the total population in an 
imaginary belt some 200 miles wide, assumed to be 
served by both highways—is only 39,323. Such a popula¬ 
tion does not develop a heavy local travel. It averages 
in Utah about five individuals to the square mile and in 
Nevada less than one individual to the square mile. The 


Page forty-five 


entire population served by both routes considered in the 
engineering report, between Salt Lake City and Reno, 
is about equivalent to the number of through tourists, 
headed for California, reaching Salt Lake City now dur¬ 
ing any one season. 

Light Local Traffic Developed 

It is pointed out in the report of your engineers that, 
while the local traffic is now heavier on the Lincoln High¬ 
way in Utah than on the Northern Route and while local 
traffic is heavier on the Northern Route than on the Lin¬ 
coln Highway in Nevada, this question of local traffic 
is inconsequential as the through traffic will always be 
heavier than any local traffic developed. The great pre¬ 
ponderance of travel from outside the states of Utah and 
Nevada dictates the selection of a route best adapted to 
serve that travel. Also, the fact that in both states more 
than 75% of the cost of any road constructed is met from 
the Federal Treasury and represents the contribution 
of the whole people towards the building of a road nec¬ 
essary to serve the whole people is another reason why, 
in determining the question from a national standpoint, 
the national interest, which is nothing more than the in¬ 
terest of the through traffic, should be first considered. 
We have said enough on this point; the through travel is 
the travel that is considered by everyone, even by those 
western areas which are so ardently pressing for the 
construction of one road or the other. Even those liv¬ 
ing along the routes under controversy are interested in 
the construction of the one or the other because of the 
through travel which the improvement of either route 
will stimulate and not primarily because of local traffic 
requirements. 

The Time Element Vital 

The second assumption upon which our statement of 
the problem is based is that time is an important element 
to be considered in the matter. We have already pre¬ 
sented some figures to show the large volume of through 
travel now endeavoring to reach the West despite inade¬ 
quate road conditions and to show the value of this traffic 
to the areas it traverses. When we speak of time as an 


Page forty-six 


element, we refer to time measured in terms of years. 
We submit that it is highly important that a road be 
opened promptly. We submit that neither the vast num¬ 
ber of motorists who wish to drive to California points 
next year, or during the next five or six years, nor the 
sections of the West eagerly anticipating this tourist 
traffic and its profits, is particularly interested in the 
theoretical completion of a through paved highway or a 
government standard gravel road—in, say, 1935. 

Traffic bound through Salt Lake City for California 
has been detoured, delayed, impeded, stopped, and turned 
back for years because of the non-existence of any thor¬ 
oughly practicable and passable highway in western 
Utah which could be traveled in any weather. The prob¬ 
lem now is the need for a road immediately—as good a 
road as can be quickly produced—but a passable road, an 
open road, at once. We submit that the cost and the 
many years of time involved in producing a government 
standard road for 600 miles between Salt Lake City 
and California is a proposition having little important 
bearing on the situation at this time, when through 
travel, and the people of the regions traversed as well, 
cry out for the prompt elimination of the “low spots” 
and the opening up of a road in any way satisfactory and 
passable. One basis of consideration is practical; the 
other is theoretical. We maintain that the practical con¬ 
sideration should govern, and that the question of what 
route can be most quickly opened up should be one of 
the paramount governing factors. 

The question of time to open a road is, to a large ex¬ 
tent, determined by the question of money, for no road 
in the West or anywhere else can be built until it is 
financed; it is unnecessary for us to call to your atten¬ 
tion the difficulty frequently, if not always, encountered 
in financing long sections of western road construction, 
Federal aid notwithstanding. We, therefore, submit that 
under this heading of the importance of the time ele¬ 
ment properly comes also a consideration of the pos¬ 
sibility of promptly financing the needed construction of 
the most important “low spots” on the routes under con¬ 
sideration. 


Page forty-seven 


Both Roads Across Nevada Required 

The third assumption upon which our statement of the 
problem is based is that the two roads are ultimately go¬ 
ing to be built across Nevada as money becomes available, 
regardless of which may be selected to carry through 
traffic to California. We believe that this assumption 
is almost self-evident and requires little supporting argu¬ 
ment or data. The State of Nevada has included both 
roads in her Federal aid system. They parallel each 
other, are approximately 100 miles apart, and serve an 
area equal to the whole of France. We do not under¬ 
stand that there is any reason to assume that you will 
not approve the inclusion of both in the Nevada Federal 
aid system. The population along both routes in Nev¬ 
ada is approximately the same—15,967 along the Lin¬ 
coln Highway; 15,492 along the Northern Route. These 
figures from your engineers’ report serve well to illus¬ 
trate the need for both roads. 

Assuming that there can be no argument but what 
both routes in Nevada will be accepted in the Federal aid 
system, it remains only to show that the opening of both 
as travelable roads can be financed in the near future, 
whereas the government standard road, as considered 
in your engineers’ report, cannot, in order to fully dem¬ 
onstrate this third assumption. 

You are familiar, of course, with the fact that in Nev¬ 
ada the money to meet Federal aid funds for road build¬ 
ing is largely raised by the county units. The reason 
for this is that the state has reached the limit of its 
bonded indebtedness for road building purposes, and its 
annual income for such purposes is not adequate to meet 
all the Federal aid available and, at the same time, sup¬ 
port the State Highway Department and finance the 
maintenance of the road system already constructed, and 
the interest and sinking fund on outstanding bonds. 

Both Roads Desired By Counties Traversed 

While, in accordance with the law, the county funds 
made available to meet Federal aid are administered by 
the State Highway Department, it will become imme¬ 
diately apparent that the counties are in a position to 
prevent the construction of certain state highways and 


Page forty-eight 


Federal aid roads, which they may not immediately de¬ 
sire, and are also in a position to expedite, if they wish, 
the construction of other state highways and Federal 
aid roads within their borders; the State Highway De¬ 
partment has no reason to withhold Federal and state aid 
if a county desires it and raises the money necessary to 
meet it. 

The Northern Route and the Lincoln Highway across 
Nevada serve entirely separate belts of territory. They 
are the only east and west roads through a vast region 
equivalent to the combined area of France and Belgium. 
With both roads available for Federal aid and on the 
State Highway System, which is the case, the people 
served by both roads, which means the counties so served, 
will see to it that progress is rapidly made on the con¬ 
struction of the “low spots” of each. They will at least 
see that this construction is not delayed longer than nec¬ 
essary through lack of county funds. 

Both Roads Will Be Promptly Built in Nevada 

While it may be many years before both roads across 
Nevada are completed to the government standard, we 
submit that this is unimportant from a practical stand¬ 
point. Both roads will be quite quickly opened as pas¬ 
sable highways across Nevada, through the early financ¬ 
ing and construction of those sections of each which are 
bad, impassable, rough, or difficult to travel. It suffices 
here to state that those sections of the Lincoln Highway 
between Ibapah, Utah (near the Utah-Nevada line), and 
Carson City or Reno which require improvement in 
order to open a satisfactory through road across the 
state are already under contract, not only between this 
Association and the State Highway Department of Nev¬ 
ada, but between the State of Nevada and your Depart¬ 
ment. For all practical traveling purposes, therefore, 
the Lincoln Highway will be opened across Nevada in 
1924. It will not be many years before the Northern 
Route is brought into very acceptable driving condition 
across the state. 

We believe that we have shown that both routes across 
Nevada will be built. The only Nevada construction af¬ 
fected by the controversy, or by your settlement of it, 


Page forty-nine 


would be the roads connecting- Wells and Ely with the 
Utah State line, a matter relatively unimportant to the 
population of Nevada, nearly all of which, along the 
Northern Route, lies west of Wells and along the Lin¬ 
coln Highway lies west of Ely, so that variations in the 
alignment of either road east of Ely or east of Wells 
make no particular difference except as cost is affected. 


Page fifty 


CHAPTER IV 

A CONSIDERATION OF THE TRUE 

PROBLEM 


H AVING established as sound the assumptions upon 
which our statement of the problem is based, it is 
now in order to proceed to a consideration of that prob¬ 
lem and an attempt to solve it. 

We repeat our statement of the problem to be solved: 

What road between Main Forks, Utah, and Sacra¬ 
mento, Calif., is it the more important to open first for 
the through traffic, i. e., which road serves best the 
majority of through traffic headed west from Salt 
Lake City, whether headed for central or southern 
California and which route can be more quickly put 
into practicable, travelable condition f If the route by 
way of Ely is shown to be the route of first importance 
to serve the greatest volume of traffic, then which 
route to Ely can be first and more economically opened 
for tourist travel, that by way of Ibapah or that by 
way of Wendoverf 


Two Main Objectives On Coast 

As the first part of our problem indicates, we consider 
it of the greatest importance to find, if possible, a por¬ 
tion or length of highway common to a road from Salt 
Lake City to both San Francisco and Los Angeles. This 
is much more important than it is to find a section of 
highway common to two routes across Nevada from Salt 
Lake City to Reno. In the latter case, the only incen¬ 
tive is a rather questionable economy, while in the former 
is involved the true strategy of route selection, i. e., the 
determination of the natural point of traffic division, dic¬ 
tated by topography, where from a common route the 
traffic diverges for different and widely separated ob¬ 
jectives. 


Page fifty- one 


Serving All West-bound Traffic 

Through travel heading west from Salt Lake City has 
two possible primary objectives, i. e., either the southern 
or northern half of California. We have previously 
pointed out how travel interested at all in directness 
would, from points as far east as Chicago or Kansas 
City, reach Portland, Seattle or Los Angeles. Travel 
heading for the Pacific Northwest, and reaching Salt 
Lake City, would,go north from that point on connecting 
roads via Ogden, Utah, Pocatello and Boise, Idaho, etc. 
The only travel wishing direct connections, which would 
leave Salt Lake City on a western road, would be; either 
travel headed for San Francisco or that region of Cali¬ 
fornia for which Sacramento is the cross-roads, includ¬ 
ing Lake Tahoe and any point north of Fresno; or, 
travel headed for Los Angeles or any point in California 
south of Fresno. 

We have elsewhere stated the fact that more than fifty 
per cent of the travel leaving Salt Lake City on any west¬ 
ern road is headed for southern California. We know 
this to be true from years of study of west-bound travel, 
from years of answering tourists’ inquiries as to routes 
to California points, from years of travel along the trails 
involved, and of securing information from hotels, gar¬ 
ages, touring bureaus, and from travelers themselves 
along the road in tourists’ camps, etc. No one will deny 
the fact that more than half the travel reaching Salt 
Lake City wishes to go most directly into southern Cali¬ 
fornia. This will be admitted as quickly in northern 
California as anywhere. No doubt this desire on the 
part of the larger proportion of the travel is due simply 
to the greater renown of the southern half of the state, 
or the greater enterprise shown by southern California 
in exploiting its natural attractions. 

Sixty Per Cent of Travel Leaves Salt Lake City 

for Southern California 

As some indication of the way the traffic went in 1922 
we quote figures supplied by the Utah State Automobile 
Association from the records kept at its touring bureau 
at Salt Lake City during the twelve months of the calen- 


Page fifty-two 


dar year 1922. This bureau kept a record of every tour¬ 
ist applying for information, including data as to the 
road over which the tourist reached Salt Lake City and 
the road over which he was leaving, and his destination. 
The bureau estimates that only one tourist in four, ar¬ 
riving in Salt Lake City during the season, called at the 
bureau for information; so that to get an accurate fig¬ 
ure representing the tourist travel leaving Salt Lake City 
west-bound last year, the following figures should be 
multiplied by four: 

Tourists leaving S. L. on Arrowhead Trail for 


Los Angeles . 4,228 

Tourists leaving S. L. on Lincoln Highway for 

San Francisco . 3,051 

Tourists leaving S. L. on Lincoln Highway for 
Ely, Nev., there to follow Midland Trail to 
Los Angeles. 370 

Total. 7,649 


It will be noticed that the recorded traffic through Salt 
Lake City during 1922 showed a total of 4,598 tourists 
bound for southern California out of a total of 7,649 
bound west. In other words, 60% of the travel leaving 
Salt Lake City left for Los Angeles or southern Califor¬ 
nia. It has been our experience that this proportion 
would hold good for any given period of time travel 
might be checked. In fact, before the Lincoln Highway 
in Nevada had been improved at its worst point, the Fal¬ 
lon Sink, and, at a time, therefore, when the road to Los 
Angeles was no worse than the road to San Francisco, 
nearer 75% of all west-bound traffic went into southern 
California. It is entirely adequate for our purpose, how¬ 
ever, to have demonstrated our contention that over 
50% of all travel leaving Salt Lake City for California 
desires to reach, most directly, southern California. 

California Is the Tourists' Goal 

We believe we have established “where the travel 
wants to go." This was vital to a consideration of the 
first part of our problem, for to us it seems utterly futile 
to endeavor to locate a route, upon which first attention 







Page fifty-three 


is to be concentrated in the interest of through traffic, 
before determining where that traffic wants to go. 

We have shown that the traffic which is of interest to 
your Department in this matter—that is, the through 
traffic west of Salt Lake City—wants to go to Califor¬ 
nia. We have shown that more of it wants to go to 
southern California than desires to reach central and 
northern California. 

With those facts established it becomes possible to 
consider intelligently, and to look for light on, “the true 
problem”—“what road between Main Forks, Utah, and 
Sacramento, California, is it more important to open first 
for the through traffic, i. e., which road serves best the 
majority of the through traffic headed west from Salt 
Lake City, whether headed for central or southern Cali¬ 
fornia.” 

The Two Roads to Sacramento 

We have shown that traffic headed for central or 
northern California is headed for Sacramento. That is, 
Sacramento is the best common point which can be se¬ 
lected in northern California as the objective of travel 
which will spread over all that region north of Fresno. 
Of course, travel heading for the Yosemite or Stockton, 
for points on Lake Tahoe and other scenic regions in 
northern California east of Sacramento would not nec¬ 
essarily reach that city. This travel would, however, 
follow as far as it went the identical shortest and most 
direct route leading to Sacramento. California’s cap¬ 
ital is “the greatest common denominator” of travel into 
California north of Fresno. Our chart map shows this 
clearly. 

As our statement of the first part of our problem in¬ 
dicates, there is more than one way of reaching Sacra¬ 
mento from Main Forks, Utah. There are two roads 
connecting these two terminals of our problem. One is, in 
the main, the route discussed in the report of your engi¬ 
neers as “the Northern Route.” It consists of the route 
your engineers discuss in detail between Main Forks, 
Utah, and Wadsworth, Nevada, but with the addition 
of the shortest and most direct line continuing on from 
Wadsworth, Nevada, to Sacramento, California, as is 


Page fifty-four 


indicated on our map. The distance, added to the route 
discussed by your engineers, in carrying it on to its 
true western terminus at Sacramento, is 180.2 miles. 

Wadsworth Not On Southern Route 

The other route between Main Forks, Utah, and 
Sacramento, California, is, in the main, the route dis¬ 
cussed by your engineers as “the Southern Route,” the 
difference being that your engineers considered this 
route between Main Forks, Utah, and Wadsworth, Nev¬ 
ada, whereas this “Southern Route” or, as it is generally 
known, the Lincoln Highway, does not go into Wads¬ 
worth, Nevada, at all in following its shortest and most 
direct course into Sacramento. Accordingly, as will be 
noted from our map, we show the Southern Route, or 
Lincoln Highway, as running from Fallon, Nevada, to 
Carson City, the State Capital, and thence to Sacra¬ 
mento, instead of from Fallon to Wadsworth. The link 
between Fallon and Wadsworth, while a part of the Lin¬ 
coln Highway branch from Fallon to Reno, has no part 
in the consideration of this problem and is indicated on 
our map as a relatively unimportant road, which it is, if 
one is endeavoring to follow the shortest line and, for 
that matter, the easiest grade and the most pleasing and 
historic country, between Fallon, Nevada, and Sacra¬ 
mento, California. 

We ask you to consider on the map, carefully, the two 
ultimate routes between Main Forks, Utah, and Sacra¬ 
mento, California. We do not propose to enter here into 
detailed consideration of the relative merits of each of 
these routes from the standpoint of distance, grades, pop¬ 
ulation, valuation, etc., etc. As we have pointed out, we 
believe these things should have little bearing on the deci¬ 
sion. At least their importance is entirely overshadowed 
by considerations of greater moment. Because all of the 
travel leaving Salt Lake City is not going to Sacra¬ 
mento ; only half of it, or less than half, cares to reach 
Sacramento at all. It is, therefore, necessary to give just 
as much consideration to the providing of a route to Los 
Angeles as to the providing of a route to Sacramento. 
One is just as important as the other. Those looking at 
this problem from a national standpoint have no more 


Page fifty-five 


reason to disregard the best interests of that travel seek¬ 
ing the shortest, most direct, convenient and satisfactory 
road to Los Angeles than they have to disregard the de¬ 
sires and conveniences of that travel, certainly no 
greater in volume and, as is generally conceded, much 
less, desirous of reaching Sacramento. 

Both Routes May Be Ultimately Needed 

It will be noted that our problem reads “what road 
* * is it more important to open first,” etc. It is clear, 
in view of the financial restrictions which will, under the 
best arrangements, permit of the construction of but 
one road at a time in western Utah and eastern Nevada, 
that at present a choice must be made which chiefly in¬ 
volves the time element. 

No doubt during the coming years, and while our 
great national system of roads is gradually evolving, it 
will become possible and practical and necessary, in view 
of increased traffic, to perhaps provide two roads. 

We repeat that our contention is not that ultimately 
two roads may not be needed. Our contention is, how¬ 
ever, that two roads are not immediately needed and 
that one road or the other can, and should be, opened at 
once. Such being the case, the one to be opened at once 
is undoubtedly that one which serves best the majority of 
the traffic headed for both Sacramento and Los Angeles. 

The Lincoln Way Serves All Travel to 

California 

Referring again to our map, it will be noted that after 
this consideration of quickest traffic service to the great¬ 
est number, the answer to the first part of our prob¬ 
lem becomes quite simple. The Northern Route from 
Main Forks to Sacramento by way of Wendover, Utah, 
and Reno, Nevada, a distance of 681.7 miles, provides 
nowhere along its length any opportunity of reaching 
southern California, except by the most roundabout 
ways. In fact, once the traveler has left Main Forks, 
Utah, on this Northern Route, he must continue on into 
central California, even if his ultimate objective is south¬ 
ern California. He has no alternative. 


Page fifty-six 


The Lincoln Highway, on the other hand, which 
measures but 669.5 miles between Main Forks, Utah, 
and Sacramento, by way of Ibapah, Utah, Ely and Car- 
son City, Nevada, provides not only the shortest route 
to Sacramento, but, through its connection with the Mid¬ 
land Trail at Ely, Nevada, the shortest, most direct and 
satisfactory route also to Los Angeles. It is natural that 
the Lincoln Highway should, as at present plotted, pro¬ 
vide this important connection to Los Angeles, as well 
as one to Sacramento and San Francisco, for it was orig¬ 
inally selected with just this purpose at the time when, 
in 1913, the guiding principle of route strategy and to¬ 
pography, we have pointed out, dictated the general 
course of the Highway between the two Coasts. 

A Winter Route Through the Sierras 

The importance of providing that travel which wishes 
to reach central California with a route into Sacramento 
open and passable earlier in the spring and later in the 
fall than either of the passes through the Sierras fol¬ 
lowed by the Lincoln Highway branches north and 
south of Lake Tahoe, should not be overlooked. This 
consideration is an important one indeed, and tends 
merely to emphasize still further the important necessity 
of opening first that road which leads through Ely, 
Nevada. For, even that proportion of the total travel 
west-bound from Salt Lake City which may desire to 
pass through Sacramento, may, by proceeding to Ely, 
Nevada, and from there via the Midland Trail to 
Mojave, California, and thence over Tehachapi Pass, 
reach Bakersfield and, by going up the Valley, reach its 
objective during seven months in the year when it is 
utterly impossible to reach Sacramento on any route 
which traverses the summit of the Sierras north of 
Tehachapi. 

The Two Routes to Los Angeles 

In order to finally and definitely establish the point 
we have been endeavoring to prove, i. e., that the route 
to Sacramento which should be first improved is the one 
by way of Ely, it remains only for us to demonstrate that 



At the summit of the Sierras on the Lincoln Way on June 8th. 
Seldom is any northern pass open before June or after September 



Lincoln Highway officials in the Yose?nite Valley. The Lincoln 
Way in Both Nevada and California connects with good direct roads 
leading into the Yosemite National Park 


raHH 





















Page fifty-seven 


for all Los Angeles travel the route via the Lincoln 
Highway from Main Forks to Ely, and via the Midland 
Trail from Ely via Tonopah and Goldfield, Big Pine 
and Mojave into Los Angeles, is infinitely superior and 
more desirable, shorter and in every way more satisfac¬ 
tory at all times, by every method of route comparison 
utilized by your engineers, than the Arrowhead Trail 
from Salt Lake City via St. George, Utah, Las Vegas, 
Nevada, Goffs and Barstow, California, to Los Angeles. 
This latter route is also prominently shown on our map. 

During our discussion with your engineers in Wash¬ 
ington we touched upon the necessity of reaching Ely, 
Nevada, with the first road west of Salt Lake City, in 
order to provide the best connection into southern Cali¬ 
fornia. We learned from them, however, that the ne¬ 
cessity of reaching Ely had been totally disregarded in 
considering their problem, because of the fact that “the 
Arrowhead Trail will carry the travel which wishes to 
reach southern California from Salt Lake City.” 

Southern California Travel Deserves 

Consideration 

Now we respectfully submit for your consideration, 
Mr. Secretary, the fact that, if it is worth while to ex¬ 
pend months in investigation of the relative merits of 
routes between Main Forks and Wadsworth; to devote 
long consideration and great care to the selection of a 
route between these points for the purpose of being sure 
that the most satisfactory, the most desirable, the short¬ 
est and the best road is finally selected and built; then 
it is equally worth while and of just as major importance 
to devote consideration, time and thought to providing 
the travel between Salt Lake City and Los Angeles with 
the shortest, best, most satisfactory and attractive route. 

We can see no consistency in giving such minute con¬ 
sideration to every point involved in selecting the main 
arterial road from Main Forks to Wadsworth, while 
dismissing as inconsequential the same points in regard 
to the possible routes between Salt Lake City and Los 
Angeles. 

We submit that, in view of the fact that an even 
greater volume of travel is headed from Salt Lake City 


Page fifty-eight 


to Los Angeles than from Salt Lake City to Sacramento 
and northern and central California, possibly more care 
and attention should be concentrated on the selection of 
the road to be first opened into southern California than 
is devoted to thq selection of one into northern Califor¬ 
nia. We submit, further, that in view of the fact that 
the two possible routes between Salt Lake City and Los 
Angeles vary in availability, in length, and in all condi¬ 
tions which affect tourist traffic, much more seriously 
and to a much greater extent than the two possible routes 
into Sacramento, particular care and consideration 
should be devoted to the relative merits of the southern 
California connections. 



/ 



Page fifty-nine 


CHAPTER V 


AN IMPORTANT SUBSIDIARY PROBLEM 


' this stage in the consideration of the entire prob- 



lem it becomes necessary to consider a secondary 
problem, to-wit; which road is the ultimate satisfactory 
main artery from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles? 
Which one does the travel want to follow: the Arrow¬ 
head Trail, or the Lincoln Highway and the Midland 
Trail from Ely? 

The very fact that these two roads differ so materially 
in length and in other attributes of interest to traffic 
will make it comparatively a simple matter to quickly 
demonstrate that the Lincoln Highway and the Midland 
Trail are today and will be forever in the future, just 
as they were in 1913, the shortest and most satisfactory 
through connection into southern California from Salt 
Lake City. Please refer to the map. 

Comparative Distances to Los Angeles 

Arrowhead Trail; Salt Lake City to Los 

Angeles .863.9 miles 

Lincoln Highway to Ely; Midland Trail, 

Ely to Los Angeles.807.3 miles 


Difference: represents saving via Lin¬ 
coln Highway and Midland Trail.. . 56.6 miles 

In view of the fact that an alleged saving of twenty- 
two miles between Main Forks, Utah, and Wadsworth, 
Nevada, was made the dominating consideration in the 
report of your engineers, which pointed out that this 
saving controlled cost of construction and maintenance, 
time in transit, operation cost, etc., we fed that a dif¬ 
ference in distance of 56.6 miles in the two possible 
routes between Salt Lake City and Los Angeles should 
be doubly effective in lending the weight of favorable 





Page sixty 


consideration to the importance of the Lincoln Highway 
and the Midland Trail as against the Arrowhead Trail. 

Which Road to Los Angeles First? 

We will not here undertake to estimate the theoretical 
difference in time in transit over both routes, based on 
the additional distance, or to estimate the extra cost of 
maintenance because of the additional length, or to go 
into the relative construction costs involved because of 
the additional length. We do not take up the time to go 
into these details because we do not believe they are of 
particular importance. It is not important to show that 
one of these roads can be maintained more cheaply, built 
more cheaply, or even traveled more cheaply, than the 
other, because the question at issue is not whether one or 
the other shall be built, any more than that is the ques¬ 
tion between the Lincoln Highway and the Northern 
Route to Sacramento. It is not a question of which road 
shall be built, because ultimately both roads will be built. 
It is a question of which should be opened first, as of 
first importance to the travel now. 

This is a vast region we are considering and, ulti¬ 
mately, no doubt, it will be served by many roads, each 
with its own particular advantages for certain percent¬ 
ages of the travel. But we are confronted now with a 
condition and not a theory. We are confronted with a 
vast volume of present day traffic, of traffic which wishes 
to get into San Francisco and Los Angeles in 1923 and 
1924 and 1925; which travel, amounting to hundreds of 
thousands of people within the next few years, is not in 
the slightest degree interested in the theoretical evolu¬ 
tion of adequate connections between all main points in 
the West, which will undoubtedly develop during the pe¬ 
riod contemplated by the Federal Highway Act. 

So the point is merely; which shall be the first road 
opened and made satisfactory for travel between Salt 
Lake City and Los Angeles? It should be the road 
which can be opened first, and which is the shortest, 
most direct, and would be the most popular for through 
travel desiring to reach southern California and only 
interested incidentally in points between Salt Lake City 
and southern California. 


Page sixty-ont 


Scenic Beauties of Southern Utah Not a Factor 

No doubt an excellent case could be presented for the 
attractions of central and southern Utah and of the 
region comprising the Zion National Park and * the 
Grand Canyon; no doubt the people of central and south¬ 
ern Utah could provide excellent reasons why the travel 
would prefer to come through there. We agree that the 
attractions of central and southern Utah and northern 
Arizona are delightful and interesting and by no means 
take the position that this travel should not be served 
by an adequate road into southern Utah, from Salt Lake 
City, as, in fact, it is now served. We do take the posi¬ 
tion, however, that when the problem to be consid¬ 
ered is reaching southern California in the most direct 
and satisfactory and quickest manner, we are not con¬ 
sidering the travel desiring to reach southern Utah or 
the Grand Canyon at all. 

What, then, is the best way, the quickest' way, the 
shortest way, and the way most easily and satisfactorily 
opened for through travel between Salt Lake City and 
Los Angeles? It is the Lincoln Highway and the Mid¬ 
land Trail, for via this route, once it is in satisfactory 
condition in Utah, the travel saves not only 56.6 miles, 
which is not a particularly important factor in a trip of 
800 miles, but it saves also a 400-mile journey through 
the heart of the Mohave Desert, a most uninteresting, 
a most trying, and, we might also say, a most dangerous 
trip for large volumes of travel which in the main con¬ 
sists of people unfamiliar with desert conditions and 
unequipped to cope with them. 

The Mohave Desert as a Consideration 

The approximate outlines of the great Mohave Desert 
area are indicated on our map in accordance with the 
best available governmental information. This desert 
area, approximating in size the State of Iowa, has the 
highest mean yearly temperature of any region in the 
continental United States, including and extending from 
Death Valley to the Mexican border. The road we are 
considering through the Mohave Desert traverses its 


Page sixty-two 


most flat and unbroken stretches, where the lack of 
mountains or hills prevents air currents and produces a 
condition of dead, still, furnace-like heat, particularly op¬ 
pressive and dangerous during June, July and August, 
when the greatest flow of traffic into Salt Lake City is 
experienced. Government Weather Bureau reports 
from this area showed in 1922 the following tempera¬ 
tures in the shade: June, high 115°, low 77°, mean 88°; 
July, high 116°, low 84°, mean 94°; August, high 114°, 
low 80°, mean 92°. Temperatures in the sun would be 
at least 10° higher. 

This Mohave Desert route, because of its high yearly 
mean temperature, is an excellent one for the winter 
travel into southern California. This winter travel to 
southern California, however, does not, for obvious rea¬ 
sons, go to Salt Lake City thru Wyoming, and down 
to the Mohave Desert through southern Utah. The win¬ 
ter traffic follows, as we have previously pointed out, the 
National Old Trail, sometimes called the Santa Fe Trail, 
which merges with the Arrowhead Trail and becomes 
the same road at Goffs, California. We are considering 
only the summer travel, which follows the great central 
route, or Lincoln Highway, into Salt Lake City. That 
summer travel, desiring to reach southern California, 
should not be forced to traverse that vast furnace of the 
Mohave Desert when there is a shorter, more pleasant 
and a cooler route available by way of Ely and the 
attractive slopes and valleys of the Sierra foothills, 
through Big Pine, Lone Pine and along the Los Angeles 
aqueduct. 

Unpleasant Conditions Do Not Stimulate Travel 

Every effort is worth while which tends to stimulate 
“Seeing America First.” The inherent urge of Ameri¬ 
cans to travel and to see should in every proper way be 
encouraged. It can be no more effectively encouraged 
than by so selecting the main arteries of overland motor 
travel in the West that they present the least difficulty 
and hardship and the greatest degree of comfort, recrea¬ 
tion and beauty. Then those who first venture forth 
from every American community return with enthus¬ 
iasm and spread word of the delights awaiting the 




A characteristic view on the Mohave Desert. The scenery for 400 
miles is no more inviting than the temperature 



Lincoln Highway officials studying touring conditions on the 
Mohave Desert. These trails are fast if one stays in the ruts—but 

the drive is not pleasurable 










Page sixty-three 


tourist along our western trails, and thus new travel in 
ever increasing volume is developed. 

We can assure you from experience that the motorist, 
who undertakes in summer that gruelling journey 
through the Southwest desert, returns with no enthusi¬ 
astic recommendations of the trip. He is far more 
likely to exaggerate the frightful heat and the experi¬ 
ences which were far from pleasurable and deter rather 
than stimulate new travel to the beauty spots of our 
country. 

Midland Trail Can be Promptly Improved 

It may be pointed out by those sectional interests par¬ 
ticularly desirous of seeing the Arrowhead Trail 
promptly completed, and which have, in the past few 
years, brought it to a stage of improvement which is so 
far superior in Utah to the road to Ely that practically 
all travel has been forced to take this road, that it can be 
opened first as the main arterial connection into southern 
California, due to the fact that it has already been desig¬ 
nated on the Federal aid system of the four states in¬ 
volved: Utah, Arizona, Nevada and California. It may 
also be pointed out that the route which we are demon¬ 
strating is the more satisfactory and advisable one— 
that by way of Ely, Tonopah, Goldfield and Big 
Pine—cannot be so rapidly opened, due to the fact that 
an important link in central Nevada is not on the Federal 
aid system. Some comments on this situation are perti¬ 
nent here. 

It is true that the Midland Trail, in Nevada, between 
Ely and Tonopah, has not been designated by the State 
of Nevada as a portion of her Federal aid system. This 
does not in any way detract from the importance of this 
road, any more than the omission by Utah of the Lincoln 
Way from her Federal aid system detracts from its 
fundamental importance. 

The Midland Trail has, as a matter of fact, for years 
been looked upon as the most important connecting link 
with southern California. It was the first road marked 
west of Salt Lake City by the Automobile Club of South¬ 
ern California when that organization undertook, many 
years ago, to sign the important arterial roads entering 


Page sixty-four 


southern California. It was the road always advocated 
and urged upon the traveler by those in southern Cali¬ 
fornia who thoroughly understood the conditions, until 
such time as the State of Utah allowed the desert link 
on the Lincoln Highway to become practically impassa¬ 
ble, while pushing rapidly to completion the road to the 
Arizona line on the Arrowhead Trail. 

Ely to Los Angeles Route of Primary Importance 

Southern California has always recognized the vital 
importance of the Midland Trail. That region has even 
been accused, by other sections involved in the original 
controversy affecting traffic, of enterprisingly stationing 
representatives at the strategic division point, Ely, Nev., 
to direct the flow of travel onto this road to the south. 

Our Association has from the very first recognized 
the vital importance of this connection. In fact, the 
Association has upon several occasions most seriously 
debated whether or not it should not try to change the 
main route of the Lincoln Way to follow the Midland 
Trail, instead of over the high Sierras into Sacramento. 
Interests in southern California have for many years 
urged upon this organization the designation of the 
Midland Trail as a branch of the Lincoln Highway, or 
even the moving of the western Lincoln Highway ter¬ 
minus to Los Angeles. Much careful consideration has 
been given to this suggestion and the general public has 
never known how near our Board has at times come to 
making this decision, particularly in view of the very 
large volume of through traffic headed for southern 
California, which our years of study showed to be even 
greater than that volume desiring to reach central or 
northern California. Thoughtful consideration, how¬ 
ever, finally led the Association to adhere to its single 
original path. But the fact that we have never com¬ 
plied with the appeal of Los Angeles to name the road 
from Ely into that metropolis as the Lincoln Way does 
not lessen the importance of this highway from the 
national through traffic point of view. 

Nevada's Federal Aid Mileage Restricted 

Now this route is not of vital local importance in 
Nevada. As you know, Nevada, the sixth largest state 


Page sixty-five 


in area in the Union, is allowed by law only 1,540 miles 
of Federal aid roads, with the consequence that all of the 
routes even of first importance from the national stand¬ 
point cannot be included in the originally designated 
system. Some sacrifice must be made and this sacrifice 
is, not without reason, made where important through 
roads are of the least importance locally. Local travel 
between Ely and Tonopah is insignificant. Moreover, 
the road between Ely and Tonopah crosses four U. S. 
Forest Reserves in a distance of approximately 180 
miles. Sections of this highway within the Forest Re¬ 
serves and even many sections “adjacent to and connect¬ 
ing with” the Forest Reserve roads will be built from the 
special Forest Reserve appropriation and consequently 
could be eliminated more safely from the Federal aid 
system of the state than other highways without the 
advantage of Forest road construction money. For ex¬ 
ample, the road leading from the Utah line at Wendover 
across northern Nevada into Reno does not anywhere in 
its entire length pass through a single Forest Reserve. 
For these reasons, explained by Nevada State Highway 
officials, the Ely-Tonopah link has been omitted from 
the first designated system. 

Thus it will be seen that no undue importance should 
be placed upon the omission of that link in the Midland 
Trail between Ely and Tonopah, Nevada, from the 
Federal aid system of that state. Other considerations, 
having nothing to do with the importance of this link, 
dictated this omission, not the least among these con¬ 
siderations being the fact that this highway is even now 
in very excellent condition, as the trails of the West go. 
The only exception to this broad general statement, 
which applies to the entire length under consideration, 
is a short section in the northern part of Nye County, 
which county has already taken steps to improve with¬ 
out Federal aid. 

Midland Trail Natural and Best Road 

to Los Angeles 

So naturally excellent was the road from Ely to Los 
Angeles as compared with other natural trails in Nevada 


Page sixty-six 


and California, even including the Lincoln Highway 
from Ely to Sacramento, that in the past the largest 
proportion of the travel leaving Salt Lake City for Cali¬ 
fornia points followed the Midland Trail. The only 
reason that during recent years this vast volume of 
travel, which would naturally and normally take the Ely 
route because of its many advantages, has taken the 
longer, more difficult, and excessively hot, uninteresting 
and dangerous road via the Mohave Desert on the 
Arrowhead Trail is simply that it has had no alterna¬ 
tive, as a result of the policies of the Utah State High¬ 
way Department, previously commented upon, and dic¬ 
tated by the natural sectional interests of southern and 
central Utah. Giving travel no choice of routes between 
Salt Lake City and Los Angeles, the State Highway De¬ 
partment of Utah has, since January 1st, 1921, failed 
to take any steps to provide an adequate connection with 
Ely. 

We maintain that should a road in Utah connecting 
Salt Lake City with Ibapah and the existing trail from 
Ibapah to Ely be improved to anywhere near the stand¬ 
ard adopted for the Arrowhead Trail in Utah, 90 per 
cent of the traffic headed for southern California would 
go by way of Ely. Why should it not? The saving in 
mileage is considerable and the scenery and climatic 
conditions incomparably favor the Ely route. The road 
from Tonopah to Los Angeles (all a portion of the 
Federal aid system of Nevada and California) touches 
but a small corner of the Mohave Desert, which can be 
traversed in a few hours. Further, from Tonopah 
leads that important connection, on the Nevada Federal 
aid system, to Mono Lake and via Tioga Pass into the 
Yosemite Valley. Further, the Midland Trail from Ely 
to Mojave, let us impress again, offers the shortest and 
most direct winter road between Salt Lake City and 
Sacramento, by way of Mojave, Bakersfield and the 
Valley Route to Stockton, during those months in the 
spring and fall when all the high passes of the Sierras 
are closed with snow, but when Ely can be easily reached 
from Salt Lake City. 



A view showing the excellent natural trail characteristic of the 
present condition of the Midland Trail from Ely , Nevada , to 
Tonopah , Goldfield and southern California 



Lincoln Highway officials on the Midland Trail between Ely , 
Nevada , and Los Angeles , showing one of the excellent signs 
erected along the road by the Auto?nobile Club of Southern California 





Page sixty-seven 


Ely, Nevada, Is Strategic Point to Be Reached 

We believe that we have demonstrated that the 
Arrowhead Trail should not be looked upon as satisfac¬ 
tory as the only connection for southern California 
travel from Salt Lake City; should not be looked upon 
as sufficiently satisfactory to warrant removing from 
consideration the importance of the Lincoln Highway, 
Ely connection. With this important point firmly estab¬ 
lished we may return to the consideration of the first 
portion of our original problem regarding the two main 
roads from Main Forks, Utah, to Sacramento, Cali¬ 
fornia. 

We have found that the Lincoln Highway from Main 
Forks to Ely, Nevada, provides a link common to two 
highly important Pacific Coast connections—important 
to southern California travel as it is to Sacramento- 
bound travel. We maintain, Mr. Secretary, that the 
importance of this common link for 213.2 miles from 
Main Forks, Utah, to Ely, Nevada, overshadows the im¬ 
portance of all other considerations possible between the 
Northern Route and the Lincoln Highway as connec¬ 
tions to Sacramento from Main Forks. The Northern 
Route is a road from Main Forks to Sacramento only. 
The Lincoln Highway is a road from Main Forks to 
Sacramento and, in addition, a road from Main Forks 
to Ely and Los Angeles. Unless, therefore, a shorter, 
better, more easily and quickly opened, more natural and 
inexpensive road, topographically, can be shown as pos¬ 
sible between Main Forks and Ely than the Lincoln 
Highway, it is the road which should be first opened, 
not only between Main Forks and Ely, but between Main 
Forks and Sacramento. 

We do not disregard the other considerations dis¬ 
cussed in the report of your engineers. We will later 
touch upon these various, relatively minor considera¬ 
tions, as properly applied to the first problem between 
Main Forks and Sacramento. We do pass them over 
here as entirely subservient to the main broad strategic 
consideration of reaching Ely, Nevada, with the first 
road to be opened west of Salt Lake City. 


Page sixty-eight 


It will be remembered that one of our assumptions 
in the stating of our problem was that both roads across 
Nevada would be built. We established the soundness 
of this assumption. It is particularly true that regard¬ 
less of the decision of your Department the road from 
Ely west will be built on the Lincoln Highway. All 
urgently required improvements are even now under 
contract for completion in 1923 and 1924. It is not, 
therefore, of any importance whatever to compare in 
detail here the road between Ely and Sacramento and 
the road between Wells and Sacramento, the latter by 
the way of the Northern Route and Reno, the former by 
the way of the Lincoln Highway and Carson City. 

Lincoln Way Most Important to Open First 

We have reduced the problem to what we believe is its 
essence. We have answered the first part of our state¬ 
ment of the problem by showing that the Lincoln High¬ 
way is the most important to open first for the through 
traffic between Main Forks, Utah, and Sacramento, Cal¬ 
ifornia, because it best serves the major part of the 
through traffic headed west from Salt Lake City, 
whether for central or southern California. 

Having shown that it is most important to open the 
Lincoln Highway first for the through travel, we will 
now show that the Lincoln Highway can be opened 
first; that of the two routes under consideration it can 
be most quickly put into a thoroughly practicable, travel- 
able condition. We have already emphasized the im¬ 
portance of the time element. We have already em¬ 
phasized the importance of the strategic location of the 
Lincoln Highway. We will now emphasize the practic¬ 
ability of opening the Lincoln Highway first—a con¬ 
sideration second to none. 


Page sixty-nine 


CHAPTER VI 


THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY CAN BE 

OPENED FIRST 


W E cannot too strongly emphasize the following 
statement of fact: 

The completion of existing contracts in Utah and 
Nevada will provide an open and satisfactory route into 
California from Salt, Lake City. 

That statement is based upon ten years of observation 
and study of the relative conditions of various sections 
of the Lincoln Highway between Salt Lake City and 
California, which study was essential preliminary to the 
ratification of gifts totalling over a quarter of a million 
dollars to the two states, Utah and Nevada, for the pur¬ 
pose of assisting in the prompt completion of those sec¬ 
tions which, as compared to the route as a whole, re¬ 
quired early improvement. 


Our Detailed Knowledge of the Road Conditions 

We submit that in examining into the merits of road 
conditions between Main Forks and Sacramento during 
the past ten years, with the purpose in mind of apply¬ 
ing our money only where it was most needed, we would 
necessarily acquire a very thorough understanding of 
road conditions and be in a position to accurately state 
where improvement is needed to open up a really serv¬ 
iceable and travelable road. 

Our investigations, made primarily with the con¬ 
servation of our own funds in mind, provide informa¬ 
tion of equal importance in considering the application of 
Federal funds, if Federal funds must be applied at first, 


Page seventy 


only when urgently needed. This is really the case, for, 
as we shall show later, it is not possible to undertake at 
once the construction of a government standard road 
for the entire distance between Main Forks and Sacra¬ 
mento on either the Lincoln Highway or the Northern 
Route. 

Comparison of the relative total cost of completion to 
government standard is interesting, but has no bearing 
on the immediate problem. It is of very great import¬ 
ance to consider where the application of Federal aid 
will first open a satisfactory route. 

Comparison of Improvements Required 

In the tables which follow, the cost figures are rela¬ 
tively unimportant; they are the figures, in each instance, 
given in your engineers’ report as the cost per mile of 
constructing, to the government standard specifications, 
the project sections under consideration. They are rela¬ 
tively unimportant because the important consideration 
is the mileage which requires improvement to open 
a satisfactory road. Comparison of the relative cost 
estimates per mile is not vital. 

Both Routes Now Passable in California 

We have used your engineers’ figures for cost of con¬ 
struction along the Northern Route from Main Forks 
to Wadsworth, and have assumed no additional con¬ 
struction to be necessary west of Wadsworth on the 
Northern Route to open a satisfactory road. A great 
deal of new construction is projected on this road be¬ 
tween Reno and Sacramento, but the road at present is 
thoroughly practicable and passable. 

On the Lincoln Highway we have utilized your engi¬ 
neers’ cost figures from Main Forks to Leeteville, a point 
eight miles west of Fallon. In estimating cost of con¬ 
struction to open a satisfactory road between Leeteville 


Page seventy-one 


and Carson City we have utilized a cost per mile based 
upon experience tables for road construction in Nevada 
in like territory, and through a substantially similar ter¬ 
rain. We are assuming that no new construction is re¬ 
quired west of Carson City on the Lincoln Highway to 
open a satisfactory road into Sacramento, although, as in 
the instance of the Northern Route, some improvement 
will be undertaken very shortly along Lake Tahoe in 
Nevada, and between the California State line and 
Placerville. 

We fully appreciate that Federal aid will not be 
granted for short sections of temporary improvement 
here and there on any route and, as a consequence, have 
indicated in the following tables the entire project 
brought up to the government standard in each instance, 
although in many cases these projects include sections 
which are now and would be for many years perfectly 
satisfactory for the travel. 

The fact that it is necessary to consider the comple¬ 
tion of a government standard road where any improve¬ 
ment with the Federal aid is undertaken is responsible 
for the apparent inconsistency between the following 
table of improvements required on the Lincoln Highway 
and our statement that “the completion of existing con¬ 
tracts would provide an open and satisfactory route into 
California.’’ Existing contracts with the State of Utah 
which did not contemplate the use of Federal aid would 
provide an open and satisfactory route in that state, but 
would not provide one up to the government standard. 

We have appended such notes as will give the best 
information we have as to the conditions on each of the 
several locations designated. 

First let us consider the sections of construction neces¬ 
sary on the Lincoln Highway, using our measurements 
and your engineers’ cost figures: 


Construction Necessary on the Lincoln Highway 


Page seventy-two 


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A view looking south toward Tooele , Utah , along the excellent 
gravel Lincoln Highway in Rush Valley 



Another view showing the excellent improve?nent possible at slight 
expense on the Lincoln Way west of Salt Lake City , Utah 



Lincoln Highway officials on the Lincoln Way between Tooele , 
[ Utah , and Fisher Pass. This requires no additional improvement 




























Page seventy-three 


At this point an explanation is in order so that one 
may get a clear picture of the condition of the road be¬ 
tween Main Forks and California, both now and when 
the several projects have been completed. 

Detailed Conditions in Utah 

From Main Forks to the east end of the Fisher Pass 
section is now a very excellent road, constructed by the 
state and county, with a good gravel surface. It is not 
likely that this will be touched under any conditions for 
several years. 

The Fisher Pass construction is adequate for many 
years, if it is given the ordinary maintenance that state 
roads should receive. 

From the west end of Fisher Pass to Orr’s Ranch is 
a road constructed by the county about five years ago, 
which is adequate for some time. 

From Orr’s to Granite Mountain should be built en¬ 
tire, although there is not to exceed three miles in 
all of this distance on which any difficulties are ever 
presented. 

From Granite Mountain to Black Point is the Good¬ 
year Section which necessarily should be completed as 
promptly as possible. 

From Black Point to the state line should also be early 
re-located and properly constructed, although most of 
this is now an acceptable road in nearly any weather. 
This reconstruction is not immediately imperative. 

The stretch from Orr’s Ranch to Granite Mountain 
and Black Point, and an additional distance of approxi¬ 
mately seven miles from Black Point to a connection 
with the old trail in Overland Canyon, is included in the 
contract between the Lincoln Highway Association and 
the State of Utah. There is, therefore, approximately 
20 miles via Overland Canyon and Ibapah to the state 
line which is not under any contract or project; it is on 
the Utah State Highway System. 


Page seventy-four 


Detailed Conditions in Nevada 

From the Utah-Nevada state line to Ely is now a very 
excellent road, constructed by the county, which will be 
adequate to carry the traffic for many years, and which 
is not in need of reconstruction. 

From Ely to Keystone (approximately five miles) 
much new location and construction has been done with 
state aid, and nothing further is necessary; however, 
new construction is planned for the coming year in this 
locality. 

From Keystone to Robinson Summit was completed 
with Federal aid in 1921. 

From Robinson Summit to Pancake Summit is now 
under construction and will be completed with Federal 
aid during the year 1923. 

From Pancake Summit to Eureka the existing road 
is sufficient for present needs, but a new location and 
new construction is projected and the state has an¬ 
nounced it will construct this section during the year 
1923. 

The stretch from Eureka to the Hay Ranch is already 
under contract for construction, and it is anticipated 
this stretch will be completed during the year 1923. 

There is now an acceptable road between the Hay 
Ranch and Austin, one which will be adequate for a 
number of years and which can be improved as the ne¬ 
cessity arises. 

From Austin to Westgate should be constructed as 
rapidly as possible, as the present road, which is located 
on a different site from the proposed new route, cuts up 
quite badly in summer and is the roughest stretch on the 
Lincoln Highway in Nevada; however, it is always pass¬ 
able without difficulty, if one drives at a reasonable rate. 
The state has divided this section into three parts. 
First, from Austin to Campbell Creek, which section we 
understand has been submitted to your Department for 


Page seventy-five 


approval preliminary to making final survey. Second, 
from Campbell Creek to Eastgate, now under survey, 
the field work being nearly completed. Third, from 
Eastgate to Westgate, for which project plans are com¬ 
pleted and have been approved by the Bureau of Public 
Roads. The contract for this project is now ready to 
be let with Federal aid. 

Between Austin and Westgate the Lincoln Highway 
Association is assisting in the financing of the new con¬ 
struction, and our agreement with the State of Nevada 
provides that this section shall be completed by June 1st, 
1924; if not finished by that date the state loses the 
financial assistance we have offered. We, therefore, be¬ 
lieve that there is no question but what this will be com¬ 
pleted by the date specified. 

Between Westgate and Grimes much new excellent 
construction has been accomplished with Federal aid 
during the past four years, including the Fallon Sink; 
most of this stretch is through a flat, gravelly country 
so that, even on those sections not newly constructed, 
there will be no possibility of any really bad conditions 
developing for several years. 

From Grimes to Fallon there is a stretch of approxi¬ 
mately ten miles with reference to which there has been 
some difference of opinion as to the proper location. This 
has now been settled and a contract has been let, with 
Government aid, for five miles of the distance. The 
state promises that the remaining distance will be under 
contract by June, 1923. 

From Fallon to Leeteville an excellent gravel road has 
been built by the state ; in 1922 this was extended to 
Fernley. 

The road from Fernley to Reno is always good and 
none of it needs immediate reconstruction in order to 
make a passable road. 


Page seventy-six 


Choice of Routes at Reno and Leeteville 

At Reno travel has the choice of taking the concrete 
road to Carson City and entering California south of 
Lake Tahoe, or following the state highway west and en¬ 
tering California near Verdi, Nevada. The route via 
Verdi is not as good as the one south of the Lake, but it 
is used by nearly 50 per cent of the travel which enters 
California from Reno. Therefore, it is a reasonably 
acceptable road. 

To open the way to California by the shortest possible 
route, new construction should be had between Leete¬ 
ville and th£ Lyon county line by way of Lahontan; this 
stretch is not on the Federal aid system of Nevada, but 
its improvement is under contemplation by joint county 
and state funds. 

From the Lyon county line to Carson City there is an 
excellent county road, which does not need more than 
the ordinary county maintenance to keep it in very ac¬ 
ceptable condition. 

From Carson City to Lake Tahoe is an excellent 
mountain road, built by convict labor and well main¬ 
tained by the state; it is wide enough for three cars at 
any place. 

A good county constructed road extends from Glen- 
brook, on the shore of Lake Tahoe, to the state line and, 
while improvement of this section would facilitate travel, 
it is never in such condition as to cause trouble. It is 
likely that the Lincoln Highway Association will assist 
in the immediate reconstruction of this section, which 
should be widened to take care of the heavy traffic. 

From the Nevada-California state line to Placerville, 
California, is a very excellent graded road, constructed 
by the state and county, and well maintained by the state 
forces. During the season it is open it carries hundreds 
of cars every day, including heavy stages running from 


Page seventy-seven 


Sacramento to Lake Tahoe. It is one of the favorite 
drives for people living in northern California, which is 
sufficient testimonial of its present condition. 

Two Hundred Miles of Improvement Required 

on Lincoln Way 

From the above it will be noted that only about thirty- 
seven miles of the construction promptly needed to open 
the Lincoln Way has not in some way already been pro¬ 
vided for; to-wit, fifteen miles immediately east of the 
Utah-Nevada line, five miles between Grimes and Fallon 
and seventeen miles between Leeteville and the Lyon 
county line. 

Having no engineering data for the stretch between 
Leeteville and the Lyon county line, we estimated, in 
the foregoing table, a 16' road at $7,000.00 per mile, and 
a 24' road at 50 per cent more. We believe this to be a 
more than safe figure, as experience in different localities 
in Nevada has demonstrated that 16' roads—in fact, 
20' roads, with a 10' gravel surface—are being con¬ 
structed at approximately $6,000.00 per mile in localities 
where supplies are not as convenient asjffiey would be on 
this particular stretch. 

The foregoing tabulation shows it will be necessary to 
build approximately 200 miles of road to open, as ade¬ 
quate and satisfactory, the Lincoln Highway between 
Salt Lake City and California. According to your engi¬ 
neers’ estimates this would cost approximately $1,856,- 
000.00. Comparison of their estimated costs and the 
actual expenditure on contracts let in the localities in 
which they have given figures, leads us to believe that 
$1,250,000.00 would be more nearly a correct figure. 
We will take up the question of these estimates more 
thoroughly later. 

Let us now take for consideration the opening of the 
Northern Route. 


Construction Necessary 


Page seventy-tight 


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construction—a total of 18.8 miles. 




















Page seventy-nine 


In the foregoing table we have shown only construc¬ 
tion necessary to provide an always passable road, fol¬ 
lowing the same general rule followed in the table re¬ 
lating to Lincoln Highway improvement. 

Detailed Conditions in Utah 

For nearly the entire distance between Main Forks 
and Timpie Forks (by which we designate a fork of the 
road—one branch leading south in Skull Valley and the 
other turning west toward Wendover) a very good 
gravel road, constructed by the county with state aid, 
now exists; with reasonable maintenance no new con¬ 
struction need be made on this section immediately. 

From Timpie Forks to Knolls is a rough trail which 
should be rebuilt entire. 

From Knolls to Wendover the road has never been 
passable to a degree permitting its proponents to advise 
tourists to attempt to travel it. 

We have appended two figures for this stretch—the 
first being that submitted by the engineering report as 
the amount of money necessary to complete this 40-mile 
stretch. Since obtaining this figure from the report we 
have been advised that the estimate has been increased 
by the sum of $80,000.00. 

Detailed Conditions in Nevada 

From Wendover to Wells there is practically no road 
at all at present, certainly none in the new location se¬ 
lected by the Federal engineers. The present trail is not 
at all acceptable, as it has some grades which many cars 
would have difficulty in negotiating. 

From Wells to Halleck there is a reasonably good road 
at present, one which is not in immediate need of recon¬ 
struction. 

From Halleck to Carlin is practically all new state 
construction. 

From Carlin to Dunphy about thirty miles of new 
construction is certainly required before this will be a 
passable route. 


Page eighty 


Between Dunphy and Battle Mountain there is an¬ 
other stretch of trail which is about as bad as one could 
expect to find anywhere, and which should be immedi¬ 
ately built if it is desirable to make this an open road. 

Between Battle Mountain and Stone House a part of 
the construction has been recently made; there is still 
required about S T / 2 miles of very necessary construction. 

Between Stone House and Winnemucca there is a 
very bad trail, which should be entirely rebuilt. 

From Winnemucca to Mill Citv the same condition 

* 

exists as east of Winnemucca; this is a very silty soil 
and cuts up badly during the summer months. 

From Mill City to Lovelocks new construction has 
recently been completed by the state and nothing more 
is now required. 

From Lovelocks to Wadsworth is a very silty country 
with considerable heavy sand—so bad that during the 
hot part of the summer many cars, in fact, most cars, 
have difficulty in getting through at all. This construc¬ 
tion is imperative. 

The stretches west of Wadsworth were given in detail 
in our comments relative to the Lincoln Highway. 

Three Hundred and Thirty Miles of Improvement 
Required on Northern Route 

From this it will be seen that approximately 332 miles 
of new construction is required immediately in order 
to make this route passable between Salt Lake City and 
Wadsworth. The report’s figures for the cost of this 
construction total $2,837,000.00. 

While it is expected that Federal aid will be sought 
on all of this construction, but 18.8 miles of it is actually 
under approved project. Improvement of the stretch 
in Humboldt County, east of Winnemucca, is dependent 
upon a proposed county bond issue. The same condition 
exists in Pershing County, covering both the stretch 
between Lovelocks and the Churchill County line and 
that between Mill City and the Humboldt County line. 
As we understand it, a bond issue is necessary in order 
to perform any of the construction in Humboldt County. 

These unfinanced sections approximate ninety miles. 

As opposed to the above picture, there is no part of 


* 



The excellent,, recently completed , government standard gravel road 
constructed on the Lincoln Highway west of Fallon , Nevada 


r. 



A section of fast natural road on the Midland Trail in Nevada , 
showing the nature of those sections which have not been constructed 














Page eighty-one 


the Lincoln Highway in the State of Nevada, the imme¬ 
diate construction of which is needed, that is not 
financed. 


Connections for Local Travel 

In making the foregoing computations we have not 
taken into consideration any connections between a pos¬ 
sible single road in Utah with the double road system in 
Nevada. If the Lincoln Highway in Utah is constructed 
there will be no immediate demand for such a connection, 
as there is very little, if any, local travel between north¬ 
ern Nevada and Salt Lake City. On the other hand, if 
the Wendover Road is constructed and the Lincoln 
Highway in Utah is not constructed, there will be a very 
strong, pronounced and insistent demand from central 
Nevada for a connection into Salt Lake City, as it 
has always had this connection and local travel is well 
established between Ely and Salt Lake City. 

The report suggests that in such a contingency there 
be a road constructed between Wendover and Schell- 
bourne Junction, a distance which is shown to be 82.5 
miles, at a cost of approximately $900,000.00 for a 16' 
road, or $1,300,000.00 for a 24' road. Inasmuch as 
there has never been even sufficient local travel through 
the proposed location to bring about the marking of a 
local trail; inasmuch as a stranger would now find it 
impossible to find his way between those two points 
unless he took a guide with him, we cannot believe that 
such an extravagant use of money would ever be allowed 
as would be necessary to construct this piece of road. 

The report says that if only the Wendover Road in 
Utah is constructed, through travel will follow the 
Northern Route to the exclusion of the Lincoln High¬ 
way route across Nevada. This means, then, that the 
Wendover to Schellbourne Junction stretch would be 
used only by local travel. We believe local travel would 
never be sufficient to justify such an expense, as such 
travel would prefer the more thickly settled stretch ex¬ 
tending from Schellbourne Junction, via Anderson’s, 
Tippett and Ibapah to Wendover, even though it is 23.5 
miles longer. 


Page eighty-two 


As the people of Ely have heretofore demonstrated, 
they will not quietly sit by and allow the adoption of a 
program in Utah which will not give them a good motor 
connection with that city, which is Ely’s principal supply 
point. 

The Cost Estimates Used 

In studying the report’s estimates for construction, we 
note the following: 

Between Ely and Pancake—a distance given as 59 
miles — an average per-mile cost is estimated of 
$9,094.00 for a 16' base with a 10' gravel surface. Con¬ 
struction has been made or is under way with Federal 
aid and under contract for approximately 27 l A miles, 
to-wit, that stretch between Keystone and Illipah; the 
specifications were for a 20' grade with 9' of gravel on 
12.5 miles and 10' of gravel on a 20' grade for 15 miles. 
The total cost of this construction was $165,230.00, or 
an average of $6,015.00 per mile. The report’s estimate 
is 51 per cent above the price at which the work was 
actually done. 

Between Mill City and Lovelocks, a stretch of 44.48 
miles, contracts were let with Federal aid for 10' of 
gravel surfacing on a 20' grade for $262,109.00, which 
is at the rate of $5,893.00 per mile, as opposed to your 
report’s estimate of $7,291.00 per mile; in this instance 
it was 24 per cent above the experience figures. 

Unfortunately, the estimates on the Lincoln Highway 
are proportionately twice as much out of the way as 
those on the Northern Route. 

Our Estimates of Needed Improvement 

No one familiar with the present road conditions 
along the Northern Route and the Lincoln Highway be¬ 
tween Main Forks and Sacramento will be able to se¬ 
riously dispute our estimates of required construction. 
Individual opinion may dictate certain changes in the lo¬ 
cation of required improvement, but well-informed opin¬ 
ion as to the total mileage of road improvement needed 
to effect satisfactory conditions on both routes and the 
relative cost of bringing those sections requiring im¬ 
provement up to the government standard, cannot vary 
greatly. 



Page eighty-three 


CHAPTER VII 


LINCOLN WAY BEST ROUTE TO ELY 

W E have shown that not only is it of first strategic 
importance to open the Lincoln Way to Sacra¬ 
mento, but also, taking into consideration only the prac¬ 
tical opening of a road, that the Lincoln Way can be 
opened first by constructing 131 miles less of needed 
roadway at a saving of approximately $1,000,000.00. 
We have demonstrated that the primary reason for open¬ 
ing the Lincoln Way first is the fact that, at Ely, Nev¬ 
ada, it provides the important connection with southern 
California as well as another connecting route into 
northern California open practically the entire year. 

It now remains to demonstrate that the Lincoln 
Highway from Main Forks, Utah, to Ely, Nevada, is 
shorter, follows the more natural topography, is of 
greater value to the local travel, is cheaper to construct 
and can be more quickly opened as compared with the 
other possible connection between Main Forks and Ely 
via Wendover, suggested by the report. 

In the following table our distances are used and the 
cost estimates from your engineers’ report. 


Construction Only Where Needed to Open Satis¬ 
factory Road—Main Forks to SchEllbourne Jct. 

THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY 


Project Length 

Orr’s to Granite Mt.34.6 mi. 

Granite Mt. to Black Point. . .20.3 mi. 
Black Point to State Line. . . .27.1 mi. 

Total .82.0 mi. 


Cost 

$ 291,782.00 
186,932.00 
242,626.00 

$ 721,340.00 


THE NORTHERN ROUTE 

Timpie Forks to Knolls.35.7 mi. $ 207,666.90 

Knolls to Wendover.40.3 mi. 379,954.00 

Wendover to Schl. Jet.82.5 mi. 898,507.50 

Total .158.5 mi. $1,486,128.40 












Page eighty-four 


COMPARISON 

To open Northern Route to Ely 158.5 mi. $1,486,128.40 
To open Lincoln Highway to Ely 82.0 mi. 721,340.00 

Saving via Lincoln Way 76.5 mi. $ 764,788.40 

No immediate saving in construction whatever is pos¬ 
sible between Wendover and Schellbourne Junction. The 
entire distance must be built at once to provide a connec¬ 
tion leading by way of Wendover to Ely, as there is no 
present road at all between Wendover and Schellbourne 
Junction. 

To open up the route by way of Wendover to Ely 
in a satisfactory condition for thru travel will therefore 
require the prompt construction of 76.5 miles more high¬ 
way than to put the Lincoln Way in an equally satisfac¬ 
tory condition. The extra cost, it will be noted, of open¬ 
ing the northern route amounts to $764,788.00. 

Opening Lincoln Way Saves Time and Money 

Now, what we are considering is the time element. 
Can the Lincoln Highway, because it requires 76.5 miles 
less construction to open, at a saving of over three-quar¬ 
ters of a million dollars, be opened more promptly in 
terms of years? The answer is that it can be and will 
be opened a great many years sooner, if the Lincoln 
Highway is designated for Federal aid in Utah. 

Funds Available Limit Construction Progress 

In neither Utah nor Nevada will the entire construc¬ 
tion of either the Northern Route or the Lincoln High¬ 
way proceed to prompt completion, either to the stand¬ 
ard of a government secondary road or to the stand¬ 
ard of a primary road. Both states have too large a mile¬ 
age of Federal aid system and too small a yearly sum 
for highway improvement to enable them to concen¬ 
trate 100 per cent of the funds available for even one 
year on the completion of either route. We believe that 
this is obvious. 

Projects must be built each year in both states in 
many counties. This construction in various parts of 
the state must proceed equitably, to the end that the 




Page eighty-five 


work accomplished every season may, insofar as it is 
possible, advance to approximately the same degree the 
road service of every section of the state. 

In Utah the cost of building only those sections we 
have shown to be immediately necessary on the road 
from Main Forks to Wendover would require nearly 
$600,000.00. This sum is approximately 50% of the 
total amount which would be available to be expended 
on the improvement of Utah’s entire highway system in 
any one year, assuming a Federal aid appropriation of 

$75,000,000.00. 

Maximum Highway Fund in Utah Small 

The following figures are presented to impress this 
point: 

Total primary Federal aid mileage designated by Utah—690 mi. 
Total secondary Federal aid mileage available to Utah—994 mi. 

Out of every $75,000,000 appropriation Utah 


receives . $849,417.21 

To secure this sum Utah must appropriate. 298,443.79 


Total annual sum available.$1,147,861.00 

Average of your engineers’ estimates of cost of 
government standard primary road in Utah, per 

mile . $12,500.00 

X690 

Estimated cost to grade and gravel 690 mi. pri- 

mary system .$8,625,000.00 

Average of your engineers’ estimates of cost of 
government standard secondary road in Utah, per 

mile . $ 8,750.00 

X994 

Estimated cost to grade and gravel 991- mi. second- 

ary system .$8,697,500.00 

Cost to construct primary system.$8,625,000.00 

Cost to construct secondary system. 8,697,500.00 


Total cost of Utah's 7% Federal aid system.$17,322,500.00 
















Page eighty-six 


It will be noted that, in figuring the possible ultimate 
cost of constructing Utah’s Federal aid system, no pav¬ 
ing at all has been considered, although unquestionably 
many miles of concrete construction will be built on the 
state primary system at a cost no doubt in excess of 
$25,000.00 per mile. Neither do the above figures take 
into account the fact that a certain mileage has already 
been constructed on both primary and secondary sys¬ 
tems. However, without considering that paving would 
increase these figures and existing construction lower 
them, we find that, if we assume an annual appropria¬ 
tion of $75,000,000.00 for Federal aid to the states for 
the coming fifteen years, even that period of time is 
likely to be inadequate to enable Utah to complete her 
Federal aid road system. 

Many Roads More Important to Utah Than 
Great Salt Lake Desert Crossing 

In view of the length of time required to complete the 
Federal aid system we believe it is a very reasonable 
assumption that the state would not be inclined to con¬ 
centrate 50% of its maximum possible yearly road fund 
for one year on improvement across the Great Salt Lake 
Desert west of Salt Lake City, a construction which, 
it has been time and again asserted by leaders in Utah, 
is not required by the state and which does not tend to 
serve the state’s interests. We submit that on the con¬ 
trary, due to the urgent demands of other sections of 
the state, this construction would very likely proceed 
slowly, by projects, in fact be delayed to as near the end 
of the fifteen-year period of development as possible. 

The improvement we have shown to be required to 
open the road for thru traffic between Salt Lake City and 
Wendover is 76 miles. The state forces pushed con¬ 
struction across the desert on the Goodyear Cut-off at 
the rate of approximately 11 miles a season the first 
year they were engaged at that work. Therefore, to build 
the 76 miles required on the Northern Route, even if it 
were pushed to completion at the same rate of construc¬ 
tion progress maintained by the state on the Lincoln 
Highway crossing of the same desert, under the contract 


Page eighty-seven 


with the Lincoln Highway Association, would require 
some seven years. 

If, as we have shown, it will take fifteen years to fi¬ 
nance the completion of the entire Federal aid system of 
Utah, then this desert construction would have to be 
pushed at twice the average speed at which the Federal 
aid system of the state can be constructed, in order to 
complete it even in seven years. It will be understood 
that the desert cannot be crossed by travel until this 
road is completed. 

Possibilities of Delay In Nevada 

Let us examine the situation in Nevada, where the 
unavoidable delay in constructing the Wendover to 
Schellbourne Junction link in the road between Main 
Forks and Ely will be, if anything, greater than on the 
Main Forks to Wendover link in Utah. 

It will be noted that to open the Nevada section of 
the Lincoln Highway between Main Forks and Ely re¬ 
quires no construction at all for many years. On the 
other hand, to open for travel the route from Main 
Forks by way of Wendover to Ely will require the im¬ 
mediate construction in Nevada of 82.5 miles of hither¬ 
to unrequired road at a cost of $898,507.50, according 
to the government engineers' estimate. Let us see what 
position Nevada is in to promptly undertake this, for 
her, very large expenditure: 

Total primary Federal aid mileage allowed Nevada by law—660. 
Total secondary Federal aid mileage allowed Nevada by law—880. 
Out of every $75,000,000 appropriation Nevada 


receives . $953,436.78 

To secure this sum, Nevada must appropriate. 130,014.22 

Annual sum available .$1,083,451.00 

Average of your engineers’ estimates of cost of 
government standard primary road in Nevada, 
per mile . $12,500.00 

X660 


Estimated cost to grade and gravel 660 mi. primary 

system .$8,250,000.00 









Page eighty-eight 


Average of your engineers’ estimates of cost of 
government standard secondary road in Nevada, 


per mile . $ 8,750.00 

X880 

Estimated cost to grade and gravel 880 mi. second-—— 

ary system .$7,700,000.00 

Cost to construct primary system.$8,250,000.00 

Cost to construct secondary system. 7,700,000.00 


Total cost of Nevada’s 7%, Federal aid system. .. .$15,950,000.00 

It will be noted that again no paving has been consid¬ 
ered on the primary system, although the state has made 
plans to do considerable paving near the California line. 
Again we have disregarded also the existing improve¬ 
ment on the system. The average cost of the 24' pri¬ 
mary road based on the government engineers' average 
cost for 1,000 miles in Utah and Nevada is again used, 
as is the average estimate on 1,000 miles of secondary 
construction. It will be noted that to complete the entire 
Federal aid system in Nevada to even the lowest require¬ 
ments of the Government, on both primary and second¬ 
ary systems, will take more than fourteen years, even if 
we consider a maximum average yearly appropriation 
by Congress of $75,000,000.00 as aid to the states. 

Many Roads More Important to Nevada Than 
Wendover to Schellbourne Junction 

It is hardly necessary to state that Nevada has many 
hundreds of miles of Federal aid highways to build 
which are many times more important to the state than 
the suggested construction between Wendover and 
Schellbourne Junction. There is not a habitation, not 
a living soul, to be served by a road along this 82.5 miles. 
There has never been a road or trail required there. 
There is no road now designated on the Nevada Federal 
aid system connecting these points. The only possible 
reason Nevada would have to add such a road to her 
Federal aid system would be that, thru acceptance of 









A view of the natural trail forming the Lincoln Highway down 
Antelope Valley , Nevada , to Ely. This stretch is typical of many 
unconstructed sections of the Lincoln Way in Nevada 



From a photo taken in August , 1922 , showing Lincoln Highway 
officials inspecting conditions between Wendover , Utah, and 
Schellbourne function , Nevada. There is no road 






Page eighty-nine 


Utah’s program of a road to Wendover and none to 
Ibapah, the Government forced such a designation upon 
Nevada if she wishes to provide any connection what¬ 
ever with Salt Lake City for the people of central Nev¬ 
ada. While this local travel, as has been pointed out, is 
relatively unimportant, nevertheless, it is much more im¬ 
portant that the people of central Nevada promptly 
have a road connecting them with Salt Lake City than 
it is that the people of northern Nevada have such a 
road, for northern Nevada is connected with Salt Lake 
City by two direct railroads, while central Nevada, the 
belt traversed by the Lincoln Highway, has no similar 
facilities, and must depend on the highways. 

In any event, the local travel along the Lincoln High¬ 
way in central Nevada and between Ely and Salt Lake 
City is relatively unimportant and very light—that is 
but another reason why the state would delay as long 
as possible making the very heavy investment required 
to build a connecting link for this travel, to Wendover. 

Assuming that Nevada were to build this connection 
for the thru travel and undertook it as rapidly as proper 
consideration for the balance of her Federal aid sys¬ 
tem made possible, it seems entirely reasonable to assume 
that at least eight years would be required to complete 
this improvement. If it could be built in half that time, 
and the balance of the state would permit funds to be 
to such a great extent concentrated in an absolutely un¬ 
inhabited section of the state, that would still be too 
long a time to delay the opening of any satisfactory road 
to the coast. If a program permitting such a delay were 
approved, travel would, as it has for years past, depend 
upon the Lincoln Highway west of Salt Lake City as 
long as that desert crossing would remain passable with¬ 
out maintenance. 

The Counties’ Influence on Road Building 

To a large extent, in both Utah and Nevada, the 
funds to meet the Federal aid to build either the 
Lincoln Highway between Main Forks and Schellbourne 


Page ninety 


Junction or to build the other suggested connection be¬ 
tween Main Forks and Schellbourne Junction, by way 
of Wendover, must necessarily come from the counties 
traversed. 

Tooele County Will Aid Lincoln Way Only 

In Utah both roads are in Tooele County. This 
county is very large in area and very sparsely populated. 
The greatest population lies in Rush Valley east of the 
desert and neither these people nor their county commis¬ 
sioners are anxious to spend any of the county’s meager 
funds on any desert road construction. This is only 
natural. Time and again, however, the people and the 
county commissioners both have indicated the fact that, 
if it is essential that county funds be applied to the im¬ 
provement of a road across the desert, they would prefer 
to apply them on the Lincoln Highway. 

Voters of Tooele County indicated their preference 
for Lincoln Highway improvement on the desert over 
the improvement of the Wendover connection by a vote 
of 5 to 1 on December 3rd, 1921. In the Appendix, as 
item (C), will be found a resolution from the Tooele 
County Road Commissioners expressing the county’s 
official desires in this connection. 

We almost hesitate to devote space to this attitude 
of Tooele County. It is so well known that the county 
will not make funds available to meet Federal aid for the 
construction of the Wendover road that we are forced 
to assume that, in urging the construction of this route, 
the state authorities plan on some special state appro¬ 
priation to take care of the work and are not leaning on 
. the possibility of county money. It suffices here to call 
attention to the fact that the county would be willing to 
levy a .003 tax, which would provide about $60,000.00 
per year, to meet Federal aid to construct the Lincoln 
Highway link and to complete the contract entered into 
with the state by this Association in 1918 for the com¬ 
pletion of a road from Fisher Pass to the Nevada state 
line. 

The Attitude of White Pine and Elko Counties 

In Nevada, the Lincoln Highway between the Utah 
line and Schellbourne Junction lies entirely in White 


Page nmcty-one 


Pine County and while, as has been pointed out, no im¬ 
mediate construction is at all necessary on the length 
between Ibapah and Schellbourne Junction, nevertheless, 
White Pine County, one of the most wealthy in the state, 
is ready at any time to meet Federal aid funds to better 
this connection when it becomes necessary. The county’s 
attitude towards the improvement of the Lincoln High¬ 
way has been evidenced by the rapid progress of im¬ 
provement with county funds and Federal aid west of 
Ely. 

The suggested link from Wendover to Schellbourne 
Junction in Nevada lies in Elko and White Pine Coun¬ 
ties. While Elko County is even more wealthy than 
White Pine, we believe that a cursory examination of 
the strategy of the situation, by a glance at the map, will 
indicate that Elko County will not be at all anxious to 
provide county funds to enable the construction of a 
road from Wendover south, leading out of the county. 
Such a road south from Wendover would serve not one 
individual resident of Elko County and would, moreover, 
if built, be constructed for the sole purpose of leading 
thru traffic, in which Elko County is extremely in¬ 
terested from a business standpoint, out of the county 
without traversing a single Elko County community. 

Elko County is not likely, we say, to provide funds 
promptly for the purpose of constructing a now non¬ 
existent and locally totally unnecessary road, which 
would be provided for the sole purpose of delivering 
tourists and their money into White Pine County. 

White Pine County would no doubt provide the funds 
to build to the Elko County line should this be necessary. 
More than half the distance is in Elko County. 

Lincoln Way Only Practicable Route to Ely 

We believe we have demonstrated beyond a doubt 
that the Lincoln Highway is the route between 
Main Forks, Utah, and Ely, Nevada, which can be most 
promptly opened in the interest of through travel. It 
can be constructed not only years quicker, but hundreds 
of thousands of dollars cheaper, this being the case 
whether we consider the completion of both routes en- 


Page ninety-two 


tire, to the government standard as shown in your en¬ 
gineers’ report, or whether we consider, as we have done 
in our detailed figures, only the improvement of those 
sections now necessarily requiring improvement. 

Comparative Cost to Complete to Gov. Standard 

The costs of constructing both routes entire to govern¬ 
ment standard from Main Forks thru to Schellbourne 
Junction are, as we have pointed out conclusively, of aca¬ 
demic interest only, for, in view of the fact that certain 
sections of both roads are in excellent condition at the 
present time, the final completion of either road to a 
government standard will undoubtedly be delayed for 
years. The present traffic, which deserves consideration, 
is little concerned with the condition of the road in Utah 
and Nevada in 1932. 

However, it is interesting to consider your engineers’ 
figures on the total cost to complete and to note that even 
on this basis the Lincoln Highway, Main Forks to Ely, 
is many thousands of dollars less expensive than the 
route via Wendover. 

The total cost of constructing the 176.2 miles of Lin¬ 
coln Highway between Main Forks and Schellbourne 
Junction, utilizing our data for the distances and your 
engineers’ estimates for the cost per mile, is, without sal¬ 
vage, $1,812,851.60, while the cost of building the 186.1 
miles of the alternate route by way of Wendover is, ac¬ 
cording to their estimates, $1,729,008.00, without sal¬ 
vage. 

The salvage on the Lincoln Highway estimated by 
your engineers is much the greater, being $70,000.00 
more in comparing the value of existing work on the 
two desert crossings alone. We have not available your 
engineers’ figures representing salvage value of the 
work on the Lincoln Way in Fisher Pass, Schellbourne 
Pass, or Rush Valley, but, assuming the Rush Valley 
salvage on the Lincoln Highway to be equivalent to the 
salvage between Main Forks and Timpie on the Wend¬ 
over road, the Lincoln Highway still has the advantage 
of the salvage value of the entire cost of construction 


Page ninety-three 


so far accomplished in both Fisher and Schellbourne 
Passes, a sum which is certainly over $50,000. There 
is no salvage to be considered on the Wendover connec¬ 
tion to Schellbourne Junction in Nevada. 

Differences in Data on Mileages and Costs 

We have heretofore mentioned differences between 
our figures and those of your engineers in regard to dis¬ 
tances. These we have checked carefully and cover more 
thoroughly later in this Brief, when we take up in detail 
the comparison of the Lincoln Highway and the North¬ 
ern Route under the general headings adopted by your 
engineers for route comparison. Under these headings 
we will point out also some exceptions we wish to take 
to the cost figures your engineers have used in connec¬ 
tion with improvement work on the Lincoln Highway 
desert section in Utah, which, if they are sustained 
by later investigation, will make an even more important 
and serious difference in the cost of completing the Lin¬ 
coln Highway and the alternate route to Ely via Wend¬ 
over—a still greater difference favorable to the Lincoln 
Way. 

It suffices to mention here that we have used, in our 
foregoing comparisons, your engineers’ estimates of 
cost per mile without alteration. That to some extent 
your engineers appreciated the error into which they had 
fallen in figuring the costs on the Lincoln Highway 
Goodyear Section, as compared with the Wendover road 
across the Great Salt Lake Desert, is indicated by the 
alteration in their estimates made after the completion 
of the original report, whereby an additional sum of 
$80,000.00 was added to the estimate of the cost of 
building section 11 (Knolls to Wendover). 

We will demonstrate later why we believe a still larger 
sum will be required to provide a satisfactory construc¬ 
tion across that section of the desert and why the Lin¬ 
coln Highway can be completed along Government Sec¬ 
tion 14 (Goodyear Cut-off) for a much smaller sum than 
your engineers have estimated. 


Page ninety-four 


CHAPTER VIII 

COMPLETION OF LINCOLN HIGHWAY 
CONTRACTS WILL OPEN ROUTES 
TO CALIFORNIA 

W E have shown that the route thru Ely is the 
route of primary importance from a national—a 
Federal standpoint; from the standpoint of serving the 
best interest of the “foreign cars” ; from the standpoint of 
those for whom, primarily, the construction of any road 
will be undertaken. We have shown that the road 
which can be most quickly and most economically opened 
to Ely is the Lincoln Highway. We have shown that, 
even in the ultimate, the completion of the Lincoln High¬ 
way to Ely to the Government standard is more eco¬ 
nomical than the completion, to the same standard, of the 
Wendover connection. It is relatively unimportant, but 
we will here mention that the Lincoln Highway from 
Main Forks to Ely is 9.9 miles shorter than the road via 
Wendover to Ely. 

After demonstrating these exceedingly important 
points, which have a vital bearing upon the selection of 
the primary road from Main Forks to Sacramento, we 
wish here, before proceeding* to consider the relative 
merits of the two roads between Main Forks and Sacra¬ 
mento further, to devote some attention to the import¬ 
ant facts which lead us to make the statement, which 
we now again quote because of its importance—“The 
completion of existing contracts in Utah and Nevada 
will provide an open and satisfactory route into Califor¬ 
nia from Salt Lake City.” 

We mentioned that these existing contracts do not 
mean a Government standard road. Their completion 
would mean a great deal to through travel, however, this 
travel being comparatively uninterested in road speci¬ 
fications, but exceedingly desirous of getting to its des¬ 
tination without difficulty, a consummation which has, 


Page ninety-five 


in the past, been devoutly to be wished, but only at inter¬ 
vals possible at all. 

Our Negotiations with Utah and Nevada 

These existing* contracts, to which we refer only after 
having established our case without reference to them, 
in order to indicate that we argue our position because we 
believe we are right and not because we believe our invest¬ 
ments should be conserved if wrong, necessitate, to be 
fully understood, a brief history of our negotiations with 
Utah and Nevada to bring about the correlation of 
highway construction in the various counties and be¬ 
tween the two States. These negotiations have resulted 
in our contributing considerable sums of money, hereto¬ 
fore unmentioned, based on contracts for road construc¬ 
tion. We will outline the development of these road 
projects and state the present status of each in each 
state. 

The Contract for Improvement in Utah 

We have already pointed out how and why the Lin¬ 
coln Highway was originally routed west of Salt Lake 
City across Utah and Nevada with the full approval of 
then Governor William Spry, of Utah, and then Gov¬ 
ernor Tasker L. Oddie, of Nevada. We have already 
mentioned that resolution of the Utah State Highway 
Commission of March 21st, 1918, which is provided in 
full in the Appendix (A), and which constitutes a 
solemn contract between the State of Utah and the Lin¬ 
coln Highway Association. We here quote from that 
instrument those sections which expressly enumerate 
those things that the State of Utah agrees to accomplish 
in consideration of our payment of $125,000.00. 

“NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, By 
the State Road Commission of the State of Utah, in 
regular meeting assembled, this 21st day of March, 
1918, that the offer of $100,000.00 by the Goodyear 
Tire and Rubber Company and by Mr. F. A. Seiber- 
ling, its President, for the construction of that part 
of the Lincoln Highway hereinafter particularly de¬ 
scribed, to-wit: 


Page ninety-six 


Commencing at a point in Tooele County, 
Utah, known as the north end of Granite Point 
at Granite Mountain; thence in a westerly direc¬ 
tion for a distance of approximately 17 l /2 miles, 
to a point known as Black Point in Tooele 
County, Utah, which said points are the termini 
of the shortest distance across what is known as 
the Great Salt Lake Desert, 

he accepted, and a roadway be constructed, not less 
than eighteen feet in width and not less than one foot 
in elevation of natural dirt soil, covered with a gravel 
surface of not less than eight inches in depth at the 
center, nor less than twelve feet in width, or of greater 
width if so determined by the State Engineer of Utah 
upon further investigation; also 

“BE IT RESOLVED, That the offer of $25,000.00 
from Mr. Carl G. Fisher for the construction of that 
portion of the Lincoln Highway from Clover, Tooele 
County, Utah, toward OrPs Ranch, via what is known 
as Johnson Pass, be accepted. Said $25,000.00 is to be 
used in constructing a safe mountain highway with 
double track turnouts, zvith suitable bridges to be 
erected where needed, the funds to be applied where 
most necessary as indicated by said State Road Com¬ 
mission after investigation and recommendation by 
the State Engineer, said construction to cover a dis¬ 
tance as may be determined upon further investiga¬ 
tion, but in no case shall said funds be applied on a 
section or sections, the total construction exceeding 
six miles in length. 

“The condition upon which said money is tendered 
to the State of Utah, and accepted by it, to be that 
said road, for the entire distance between Clover, 
Utah, and the Utah-Nevada State line, via Overland 
Canyon, shall be designated as a state highway by the 
State Road Commission on or before the date that 
construction shall actually begin thereon, the State of 
Utah first having secured proper right-of-way where 
such construction is to be made. 

“FURTHER, That a road connecting the zvest ter¬ 
minus of the Seiberling section and the present road 


Page ninety-seven 


through Overland Canyon shall be opened up and 
made passable for motor propelled vehicles by the 
State of Utah; and that a road from Johnson Pass, at 
the end of the Fisher construction, and west to Gran¬ 
ite Mountain, be put in good passable condition for 
travel, in order to connect the Seiberling-Fisher me¬ 
morial sections. Also that a connection be made by 
the State of Utah between the east terminus of the 
Fisher section and the tovon of Clover, Utah. 

Said work shall be continued and completed not 
later than the first day of July, 1919. 

“FURTHER, Said Seiberling section, after comple¬ 
tion, shall be kept closed to all travel until officially 
dedicated, jointly, by the officials of the State of Utah 
and of the said Lincoln Highzvay Association. 

In consideration of the construction made by the 
State of Utah, whereby the Fisher and Seiberling sec¬ 
tions are connected with and made a part of the State 
Highway system of Utah, it is agreed that Mr. F. A. 
Seiberling shall pay to the State of Utah for the 
proper upkeep of the Seiberling section such bills for 
maintenance as the State of Utah shall render, said 
amount at no time to be in excess of Five Thousand 
($5,000) Dollars per year, nor for a longer period 
than five years, beginning zvith the year 1920.” 

It will be noted that at the time this agreement with 
the state was entered into and the Association made 
arrangements for the payment of the money to the state 
in accordance with its terms, the State Highway Com¬ 
mission of Utah and the Lincoln Highway Association, 
as well as the people of Tooele County, who had sug¬ 
gested the plan of shortening by using Fisher Pass, were 
in entire accord. There was no thought on the part of 
anyone then that the state would not continue and carry 
out all of the terms of this agreement. 

It was thoroughly well understood that the cost of the 
desert construction between Granite Mountain and 
Black Point would be more than the $100,000.00 the 
Association was supplying for this purpose, just as it 
was also understood that the Fisher Pass construction 
would exceed in cost the $25,000.00 the Association pro- 


Page ninety-eight 


vided for that work. The Association had endeavored 
to let contracts for the construction on the desert without 
success before taking the matter up with the state, and 
everyone concerned understood thoroughly that the state 
would necessarily have to provide the difference between 
the actual cost of both projects and the amount supplied 
by the Association. This it was naturally very willing 
to do, for it secured a road which it then officially pointed 
out as most essential, by providing only a part of the 
actual cost. 

Association Foresaw More Federal Aid 

That some delay might be encountered in finishing 
those sections which the state agreed to improve between 
Clover and Fisher Pass, and between Fisher Pass and the 
north point of Granite Mountain and west of the desert 
connecting with Overland Canyon, was understood. 
State and county road funds were very meager and Fed¬ 
eral aid in 1918 gave little assistance to the western 
states. 

The Association, however, felt confident that more 
adequate assistance to the western states from the Fed¬ 
eral Treasury was imminent and that before many years 
the state would be in a position to carry out all of its 
contract’s provisions, even though all that was immedi¬ 
ately possible was the completion of the pass and the 
desert crossing. The important consideration was to 
open the road west; the connections east and west of the 
desert could wait until more money was forthcoming. 
These connections were never impassable. 

Before the important desert crossing itself was com¬ 
pleted, however, the state stopped work, not at any con¬ 
venient or practicable point in the progress of the job, 
but in the middle of the season and without any steps 
whatever to conserve work accomplished. 

The Fisher Pass construction was completed. The 
desert grade was completed from Black Point to Granite 
Mountain, and seven miles of the grade was properly 
graveled in accordance with the contract when the work 
was stopped in September, 1919. Our protests against 
stopping the work at the point and at the time it was 
stopped were met with the statement that the common- 



This view and the one below show the nature of the excellent road 
constructed through Fisher Pass by the State of Utah with funds 
contributed by the Lincoln Highway Association 



One of the permanent culverts installed on the new Fisher Pass 
section of the Lincoln Highway. Very little additional work is 
required to bring this road to government standard 






















































































■ 


t 















> 




























































Page ninety-nine 


wealth was completely out of money and could not con¬ 
tinue and that the machinery required overhauling and 
was being brought into Salt Lake City for that purpose. 
We were assured that the work would be resumed and 
completed as soon as more money became available and 
when the machinery was repaired. Note correspondence 
in Appendix (A) between Governor Bamberger, his 
State Highway Engineer and Mr. F. A. Seiberling, then 
President of this Association. There was no hint of a 
claim that the contract had been fulfilled. 

Knowing the very meager highway revenue of Utah, 
the Association was satisfied with Governor Bam¬ 
berger’s assurances that the work would be continued as 
soon as the money became available, and waited patiently 
for the carrying out of this contract. 

Additional Aid Offered Utah Refused 

The Association felt confident that following the 
passage of the Federal Highway Act in 1921, which 
gave the western states a more liberal measure of assist¬ 
ance, Utah would undertake to complete the contract 
which had been awaiting completion for so many years. 
It was not until 1922 that the Association was finally 
advised by a succeeding Utah State Road Commission, 
under a succeeding Governor, that the contract would 
not be completed and that the work accomplished would 
be abandoned. The difficulty the state had in meeting 
its Federal aid was appreciated and, despite the unsatis¬ 
factory way in which our first appropriation was admin¬ 
istered, more money was offered by the Association. 
This was refused. 

We maintain that the state is legally and morally 
bound to complete this work in accordance with the 
terms of the contract quoted, and in accordance 
with the mutual understanding of its provisions made 
clear in the correspondence we have cited. When carried 
to completion this contract would provide a highly satis¬ 
factory improvement between Main Forks and the Nev¬ 
ada state line near Ibapah, as the road is now excellent 
from Main Forks to Clover. The Association still stands 
ready to aid the state financially in completing the work 



» > 


Page one hundred 


—if the Federal Government’s participation assures the 
proper expenditure of the money and adequate mainte¬ 
nance. 


Contracts for Lincoln Way Improvement 

in Nevada 

Having as a result of its negotiations with the State 
of Utah provided for the opening of a satisfactory 
through highway from Salt Lake City to the Nevada 
line, the Association turned its attention in 1918 to those 
secondary problems which became evident once the main 
problem in Utah was (presumably) taken care of. These 
problems consisted of the “low spots” in Nevada. As 
the State of Nevada was urgently desirous of bringing 
the Lincoln Highway to completion, and as the counties 
through which the route passed were of a like mind, it 
became very simple for the state, the county authorities 
and the Association’s representatives to reach a common 
point of agreement as to where the aid the Association 
was in a position to extend could best be concentrated to 
bring about the early opening of a satisfactory route 
between Ely and the California state line. The road 
from the Utah line to Ely was satisfactory. 

Altogether the sum of $115,000.00 was offered to the 
State of Nevada to aid improvement where it would do 
the most good and to date the following contracts have 
been closed between the State Highway Department and 
the Association. In every instance the agreements be¬ 
tween the state and Federal government have either been 
entered into or are pending for the following sections: 


Contracts Completed and Under Way in Nevada 
on the Lincoln Highway with Aid from the 
Association and the Federal Government 


Project Length Estimated 

Miles Cost 
Hay Ranch to White 
Pine County Line...22.0 $277,258.90 
Westgate to 18 miles 
west of Austin.50.7 430,000.00 


Association's 

Aid 

$ 7,500.00 
44,500.00 



Page one hundred one 


Frenchman’s Flat .... 5.0 54.744.03 10,000.00 

Grimes Ranch to Sand 


Springs .17.3 125,000.00 45,500.00 

Totals.95.0 $887,002.93 $107,500.00 


A project involving the remaining $7,500.00 offered 
Nevada by the Association is now being considered by 
our Board of Directors. The project involves the road 
along Lake Tahoe. 

Nevada Making Good Use of Association’s Aid 

The aid the Association was able to extend to Nevada 
in connection with the above contracts enabled the early 
undertaking of many other road improvement contracts 
between the state and the Federal government, which 
would not have been possible for several years had not the 
Association’s aid permitted the release of state and county 
funds for this other work. Thus, by careful and close 
co-operation between the State Highway Department of 
Nevada, the Lincoln Highway Association and the many 
county authorities involved between Ely and Fallon, 
has been worked out a program which, taking into con¬ 
sideration also the work to be accomplished in the 
Forest Reserves traversed by the Lincoln Highway, will 
mean a satisfactory, open, through route across the 
state in 1924. In nearly every instance the contracts 
completed or being completed in Nevada are up to the 
present government standard. In every instance those 
now uncompleted comprise Federal aid and are being 
built under the supervision of your Department. The 
only instance in which this was not the case was in the 
Toiyabe Forest Reserve, where the road for twelve miles 
was constructed to the specifications determined upon 
by the Department of the Interior. 

As a consequence of the contracts we have outlined 
and the condition of the Highway in Nevada as a result 
of years of gradual improvement, the status of the Lin¬ 
coln Highway is, as we have said, such that the comple¬ 
tion of the existing contracts will provide an open and 
satisfactory route into California. The following table 
is provided for convenience in checking our statement 







Page one hundred tivo 


and shows the existing conditions and existing contracts 
on the Lincoln Highway between Main Forks, Utah, and 
Sacramento, California. It also serves to indicate the 
effective co-operation which, for eight years, up to the 
accession of the present administration in Utah, existed 
between Utah and Nevada and this Association in ad¬ 
vancing the agreed route of the Lincoln Way to com¬ 
pletion. 


Status of Lincoln Highway, Main Forks, 
Utah, to Sacramento, Cal., 

March 15, 1923 

Main Forks to Clover, Utah.Now good road 

Clover to Fisher Pass, Utah.Contract, March 21st, 1918 

Fisher Pass, itself.Now good road; needs maintenance 

Fisher Pass to Granite Mountain.Contract, March 21st, 1918 

Granite Mountain to Black Point (Goodyear Cut-off). 

.Contract, March 21st, 1918 

Black Point to Overland Canyon.Contract, March 21st, 1918 

(Overland Canyon not now under contract,) but— 

Black Point via Gold Hill to Ibapah.Now always passable 

Ibapah, Utah, to Ely, Nevada.Now good road 

Ely, Nevada, to Robinson Summit.Federal aid road built 1921 

Robinson Summit to Illipah.Federal aid road being completed 

Illipah to Pancake Summit.Federal aid road being completed 

Pancake Summit to Eureka.Now always passable 

Eureka to Hay Ranch.Federal aid contract let Nov. 29th, 1922 

Hay Ranch to Forest Reserve.Now good road 

Forest Reserve into Austin.Completed with Federal funds only, in 1920 

Austin to New Pass.Now always passable 

New Pass to Eastgate.Now always passable 

Eastgate to Westgate.Now always passable (ready to let) 

Westgate to Frenchman’s Flat.Now good road 

Frenchman’s Flat.Completed with Federal aid in 1922 

Frenchmans Flat to Sand Springs.Now good road 

Sand Springs to Salt Wells.Completed with Federal aid in 192*2 

Salt Wells to Grimes Ranch.Contract being completed with Federal aid 

Grimes Ranch to Fallon. 

.One-half under contract (Dec. 27th, 1922) now always passable 

Fallon to Leeteville...Completed with Federal aid in 1920 

Leeteville to Carson City.Always passable—but rough 


Alternate Via Reno to Carson 


Leeteville to Hazen. 

Hazen to Fernley. 

Fernley to Reno. 

Reno to Carson. 

Carson City to state line.... 
State line to Placerville, Cal 
Placerville to Sacramento.. 


.Completed with Federal aid in 1922 

Now under construction with Federal aid 

.Now always passable 

.Concrete paving completed in 1922 

.Good graded road 

.Good graded road 

.Paved 






































The above photo , taken in 1915, shows the old “road" across the 
Fallon Sink , Nevada. This Sink is an old lake botto?n like the 

Great Salt Lake Desert in Utah 



A view of the excellent , graded , well-drained road across the Fallon 
Sink completed by the State of Nevada in 1922 , with the aid of the 

Lincoln Highway Association 



















Page one hundred three 


We stated that the completion of existing contracts 
on the Lincoln Highway would open a satisfactory route 
into California. We have demonstrated that the com¬ 
pletion of existing contracts will open a satisfactory 
route into Sacramento. Their completion opens a satis¬ 
factory route also into southern California, for there 
is no situation in any way impeding the passage of 
through traffic between Ely, Nevada, and Tonopah, Gold¬ 
field or Oasis. The State of California has completed 
a splendid road between Los Angeles and Mojave, and, 
while it has not yet been paved from Mojave to Oasis, 
no difficulty is ever encountered on this road and it is in 
generally excellent condition, as such western trails go. 
By this we mean sometimes rough, but never impassable. 
There are long stretches of fast going. 

Our Best Efforts Have so Far Bekn Unsuccessful 

The Lincoln Highway Association has the greatest 
regret that it has failed to accomplish or procure, before 
this, the construction of a road connecting Salt Lake 
City with both northern and southern California. That 
this end has not been accomplished is no fault of this 
Association and no fault of the State of Nevada, as the 
status of existing contracts makes clear. Nevada has seen 
the broad picture from the first and done the best it 
could, with meager funds, to aid in working it out. 
Nevada appreciated, long before any Federal law neces¬ 
sitated the designation of a “primary” and “secondary” 
system of highways, that the Lincoln Highway west of 
Ely was destined to be the most important east and west 
road across Nevada, for the reason that the strategy of 
that choice of location would bring to it all travel into 
northern California. It is for this reason that the Lin¬ 
coln Highway is so far advanced today over the North¬ 
ern Route in Nevada. We refer you here to the com¬ 
plete text of the joint resolution passed by the legisla¬ 
ture of Nevada on Feb. 5, 1923, given in the Appendix 
(D). This joint resolution refers, in one paragraph, to 
an earlier request of the State of Nevada, voiced 
through Ex-Governor Boyle, when it says: 

“WHEREAS, in April, 1922, the Governor of 

Nevada, the Department of Highways and over thirty 


Page one hundred four 


Chambers of Commerce, Boards of County Com¬ 
missioners, and other civil and civic bodies joined in 
a request to the State of Utah that it include the Lin¬ 
coln Highway in western Utah in its Federal highway 
system, and said request was ignored; * * *” 

While the complete “request to the State of Utah/’ 
signed by the Governor of Nevada, the Department of 
Highways, the Chambers of Commerce and other bodies 
mentioned, will be found in the Appendix as item “E,” 
the purpose here is to quote only that portion which 
serves to impress again the importance which the State 
of Nevada, the Department of Highways, the Governor 
and the people, as represented by their commercial and 
civic organizations, place upon the Lincoln Highway. 

The Importance of The Lincoln Way to Nevada 

“WHEREAS, the program for Federal aid here¬ 
tofore submitted by Utah does not provide the most 
direct avenue possible to a very large number of cities 
and toivns in central Nevada, localities which, thru 
lack of transcontinental railways, must depend on 
highways for east and west communications; and 

“WHEREAS, the Lincoln Highway is the main 
correlating highway across Nevada, directly serving 
such important communities as McGill, East Ely, Ely, 
Ruth, Kimberly, Hamilton, Eureka, Austin, Fallon, 
Hazen, Reno, Carson City and Lake Tahoe, and also 
forming direct connection by improved highways with 
Pioche, Lund, Preston, Tonopah, Goldfield, Haw¬ 
thorne, Yerington, Minden, Virginia City, Gold Hill 
and Dayton, thereby serving about 90 per cent of the 
population and business interests of Nevada; and also 
serving Gold Hill and Ibapah, in Utah and the Yo- 
semite and Ozvens River valleys in California; and 

“WHEREAS, the only western outlet which Utah 
has heretofore designated will not provide a direct 
connection with the Lincoln Highzvay route across 
Nevada; and 

“WHEREAS, Nevada has designated the Lincoln 
Highway route for Federal aid; and 


Page one hundred five 


“WHEREAS, the business prosperity of central 
Nevada depends largely on securing direct communi¬ 
cation with Salt Lake City, thereby more closely 
cementing the business relations of Nevada and Utah; 
' and (etc.)—” 

Nevada, as has been shown, has done her best, not 
only to get the Lincoln Highway improved across 500 
miles of sparsely populated territory within her own 
borders, but also to bring about the co-operation of the 
State of Utah in making what she had accomplished of 
correlative value. We have done our best to assist both 
states to open, under the great difficulties which have 
existed, at least one through connecting route into Cali¬ 
fornia. We would have succeeded long ere this had it 
not been for the conflicting interests of trade in the large 
areas affected by route improvement in the west in the 
manner we have pointed out. ( See also Appendix, F.) 

Government Can Now Bring Progress 
Out of Stagnation 

We are now thankful that the matter has progressed 
to a stage where the Federal government authority, em¬ 
powered to decide the route with equitable consideration 
of the diverse interests of the areas affected, will rapidly 
bring progress out of stagnation. 

The power and authority of the Federal government 
to control and co-ordinate the main arterial highways 
has been and will be invaluable through the years, to a 
degree almost impossible to visualize today. In the past 
it has required county authority to decide differences 
between individuals, urging the construction of differing 
routes of travel serving their respective interests. It 
has required state authority to compel the co-operation of 
counties in providing inter-county roads of state-wide 
importance. The national government authority is now 
required to bring wise action out of dispute as to the 
proper routes correlating main highways between states 
and providing arteries of national importance. 

The Lincoln Highway Association has labored strenu¬ 
ously since its organization to bring about the establish- 


Page one hundred six 


ment of this vital co-ordinating power over the main 
roads, in the hands of the Federal government. It was 
one of the first advocates of Federal supervision and 
control of main highway selection and construction. 
The Association now welcomes and hails with relief the 
opportunity of placing its burdensome efforts at road 
co-ordination in the Far West, where the conflicting 
interests of vast areas would serve their own sectional 
interests at the expense of the welfare of the thru trav¬ 
elers, upon a Governmental Department, selected, estab¬ 
lished and empowered by Congress for that purpose. 

Our sincere hope is that the light we have gained on 
this western situation, through more than ten years of 
study and investigation, may, at this crucial time, prove 
of value in guiding the decision of your Department. 
We look hopefully forward to rapid progress in com¬ 
pleting the only missing link in the most important of 
all transcontinental roads. We have implicit confidence 
that the final decision by your Department will be made 
in accordance with the sound, basic principles of the 
logical and wisely strategic routing, which seem so 
clear to this Association after ten years of study. 

Serving America Best 

This Association feels that, while the vast area in¬ 
volved permits of many route locations differing in 
detail, no other location of route than that it has urged 
will better serve the great motoring public of the country. 
We feel most sure that any other route selected for first 
improvement as a link in the main through path of traffic 
flow to California, would result merely in serving better 
the interests of certain areas at the expense of certain 
others, while less advantageously serving the interests 
of those who should first be considered—the touring 
public, “Seeing America First,” which is 90 per cent of 
the travel and which pays 75 per cent of the cost of the 
road construction. 


TOTAL IMPROVEMENT 95MI 
TOTAL COST $887,003 



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Page one hundred seven 


CHAPTER iX 

WHAT HAS BEEN PROVEN? 

W E believe that we have demonstrated: First, that 
the road most important to open first for the 
through travel between Main Forks, Utah, and Sacra¬ 
mento, California, and between Salt Lake City and Los 
Angeles, is the route by way of Ely, Nevada. Second, 
that the route by way of Ely, Nevada, can be most 
quickly put in thoroughly travelable condition to serve 
the waiting traffic. Third, that of the two possible 
routes to Ely from Main Forks, the Lincoln Highway 
can be most economically opened and most quickly 
opened, and would, from every standpoint, best serve the 
traffic, not only in the immediate future, but for all time, 
being shorter and safer, following the natural topog¬ 
raphy and traversing the region dotted with towns and 
ranches and being, moreover, a route which Nevada 
wants and which for a long time would cost her nothing, 
as compared with the necessary immediate outlay of 
nearly $900,000.00 in Nevada if the other route, via 
Wendover to Ely, were undertaken. 

Thus, we believe we have demonstrated, without en¬ 
tering into a detailed mile-by-mile and section-by-section 
comparison of the two routes between Main Forks and 
Sacramento, that the Lincoln Highway between these 
two points is the most important, correlating road; that 
it should be the highway of primary importance, 
whether so designated or not technically being of no con¬ 
sequence, and that it should be opened first! 

No Imme: t ate Need for Road from Main 

Forks to Wells 

It has become evident by now that, in our considera¬ 
tion of the problem, we have devoted no attention to the 
necessity of building a connection from Wells, the east 


Page one hundred eight 


terminus of the Northern Route across Nevada which 
we have stated would ultimately certainly be built any¬ 
how, to Main Forks and Salt Lake City. 

It is true we have devoted no attention to this matter. 
We consider it of minor importance. We assumed that, 
primarily, your Department and the Highway Depart¬ 
ments of Utah and Nevada are interested, in connection 
with this whole problem, in providing a satisfactory 
through route for the tourist traffic heading west. We 
have considered the problem from that standpoint, be¬ 
lieving that the question of providing for the admittedly 
insignificant local travel is not the question which has 
brought this controversy into being and necessitated 
such an amount of consideration and investigation by 
your Department. 

We do not deny that the local travel, such as it is, along 
the line across northern Nevada, should be served. In 
fact, we have pointed out the necessity for the construc¬ 
tion of this road from Wells to Reno. We have disre¬ 
garded only, as unessential, any prompt provision for a 
connection between Wells and Main Forks. There is no 
such connection now; there has never been such a con¬ 
nection. It is reasonable to assume, therefore, that there 
is not a very great local need for such a connection and 
that the widespread demand which has been stimulated 
for the improvement of this link has nothing whatever 
to do with the local travel, but results entirely from the 
very logical and praiseworthy desire on the part of the 
people between Wells and Reno to benefit from the 
through travel which would be debouched upon them, 
should the link from Main Forks to Wells be built and 
the Lincoln Highway abandoned. 

This demand from the communities of northern 
Nevada has been strengthened, if it has not been led, by 
a still greater demand from northern California, which 
region fully appreciates that the construction of this link 
and the abandonment of the Lincoln Highway to Ely 
would mean a tremendous increase in the through travel 
poured into northern California. Why? Because 
northern California would then get even that travel 
heading for Los Angeles which preferred the long way 
around to the Mohave Desert trip. 


Page one hundred nine 


The Local Travel of Northern Nevada 

Such few of the tributary population of 15,492 along 
the Northern Route in Nevada as may necessarily have 
to reach Salt Lake City can do so by the same avenues 
of travel they have been using in the past. These ave¬ 
nues are, in the order of their importance: First, the 
railroads, which would be used in any event by 99 per 
cent of the residents of northern Nevada desiring to 
reach Salt Lake City. Second, the rough, through trails 
existing and traveled by them for years via Wells, Mon- 
tello, Snowville and Brigham to Ogden and Salt Lake 
City, or, at certain times of the year, directly through 
from Wendover across the salt flats when they are dry. 
Third, the still better and more traveled natural trails 
connecting Wendover with Black Point on the Lincoln 
Highway. 

We do not contend that a Federal aid connection will 
not some day be necessary between Wells and Main 
Forks by way of Wendover. We contend that this con¬ 
nection is by no means of primary, present-day import¬ 
ance for the thru travel or even for the local travel. 
We contend that if any route is to be put off for later 
consideration, this is the one which can, with the least 
detriment to the greatest number, be postponed. If the 
Lincoln Highway is built it is obvious that it will be 
many years before the volume of local travel from north¬ 
ern Nevada to Salt Lake City would justify the expendi¬ 
ture of $1,099,724.00, as per your engineers , estimates, 
for its accommodation. 

Who can say what will develop in the way of addi¬ 
tional western highways in another generation—in the 
course of the next twenty or thirty years? This area, 
as we have pointed out, is an area equivalent to the com¬ 
bined area of France and Belgium, an area involving 
230,000 square miles, which, we maintain, cannot for¬ 
ever be served by one road, however carefully located. 

Both Roads May Some Day Be Required 

Our vision entirely lacks the ability to see the wisdom 
or practicability of the suggested effort to make one road 
render double service, in the planning of a great na¬ 
tional system, the construction of which will be the work 


Page one hundred ten 


of years. Why draw together the two, natural, main 
roads across Nevada to a common point at Wendover? 
This involves, as stated in the engineering report, the 
building of a road 82.5 miles in length from Wendover 
to a junction with the Lincoln Highway, southwest of 
Schellbourne, in Steptoe Valley, along which there does 
not now live one soul; not a human being. 

The real need, in the ultimate, is for two main roads 
from Main Forks, Utah, to Sacramento, California, and 
no doubt two ultimately will develop. Certainly, that is 
what the State of Nevada has been urging so strenu¬ 
ously upon the State of Utah, i. e., provision for the 
ultimate construction of two routes to adequately serve 
the vast areas, in southern, central and northern Nevada 
and southern Idaho, involved. 

From Boise, Idaho, to Needles, California, is a dis¬ 
tance of 600 miles, north and south. This is the area 
which, as your engineers state the problem, it is proposed 
to adequately serve with but one road in western 
Utah; this endeavor being for the purpose of saving, in 
the ultimate, the construction of 89.4 miles (your engi¬ 
neers’ figures) during the fifteen-year development of a 
Federal Highway System of 180,000 miles. The plan 
developed to effect this relatively minute saving requires 
the building of a highway where a majority of the 
traffic does not want to g*o, and involves the construction 
of 82.5 miles of highway (Wendover to Schellbourne 
Junction) which heretofore has never been needed and 
where no traffic has ever wanted to go. 

Importance of Right Route Selection Now 

A great national system of roads is now being formu¬ 
lated to adequately provide transportation facilities to 
an area of over 3,000,000 square miles. Primarily, the 
aim is not to determine where the greatest saving in mile¬ 
age or money will result by the location of routes, par¬ 
ticularly in the areas where the roadways are built 
largely from the Federal Treasury, but, on the contrary, 
to determine upon those main, backbone highways which 
will be necessary always to the travel of a nation. 


Page one hundred eleven 


As Mr. Thomas H. MacDonald, Chief of the Bu¬ 
reau of Public Roads, has so well pointed out to his Dis¬ 
trict Engineers, the work of the present organization of 
his Bureau is of greater importance than the work to be 
accomplished by any succeeding organization. It is of 
basic importance, for it lays out the work to be accom¬ 
plished by future generations of highway builders. It 
determines the broad strategy of route selection, while 
later organizations, both Federal and state, will have to 
do, largely, only the physical constructive effort along 
the lines now pointed out. 

Much of the comparative data presented in the engi¬ 
neering report for your consideration is of no real con¬ 
sequence to the existing problem, for, as we have endeav¬ 
ored to point out, ultimately in the development of this 
great fundamental system of American highways, both 
of these routes will be built. Both should now be in¬ 
cluded in the Federal aid system adopted as the task for 
later years to complete. But the road of major import¬ 
ance to the bulk of today’s travel should be first attacked 
and its difficulties overcome. And that road is the Lin¬ 
coln Highway. 

The Local Travel of Central Nevada 

If we are going to devote consideration to the local 
travel, it is far better to let the few individuals in the 
territory served by the Northern Route in Nevada rely 
upon the existing railroad lines to reach Salt Lake City 
than it is to expect the local travel developed by the 
larger population served by the Lincoln Highway across 
central Nevada, to reach Salt Lake City over theoretical 
highway construction, which, we have pointed out, will 
be delayed in development for many years. 

The travel from central Nevada, desiring to reach Salt 
Lake City, has always followed the Lincoln Highway 
and will continue to do so even if the link in western 
Utah is abandoned and the repudiation of our contract 
with that state is permitted by the Government, until 
such time as the Goodyear Cut-off across the desert 
becomes entirely impassable. After that, during the 
years which must elapse until the Schellbourne Junction 
to Wendover road is built in Nevada and the Wendover 


Page one hundred twelve 


to Timpie road is built in Utah, this travel will have no 
way of reaching Salt Lake City other than over a much 
longer, extremely impracticable and difficult route, via 
Fish Springs, around the south edge of the Great Salt 
Lake Desert. This travel has no railroad to fall back 
upon. 


I 


Page one hundred thirteen 


CHAPTER X 

THE ENGINEERING REPORT 

W E have at various points in our Brief made refer¬ 
ence to differences between our data and that pre¬ 
sented to you in the report of the engineers of the west¬ 
ern district. We stated that we believed it unnecessary 
to comment upon these differences in detail during the 
development of our case, as the importance of these dif¬ 
ferences was so far overshadowed by the basic differ¬ 
ences in assumptions and premise. We stated that after 
developing our Brief in behalf of the Lincoln Highway's 
designation and completion we would return to inci¬ 
dental consideration of your engineers' report and a cate¬ 
gorical presentation of some of the more essential differ¬ 
ences which have developed between the data presented 
therein and that we have painstakingly gathered. 

Only Important Differences to Be Shown 

We have determined to make these comments on the 
report now before you for consideration, under the head¬ 
ings used in that report, in order to enable you, or any 
other student of this problem, to readily refer back and 
forth from the engineers' statements to ours. We well 
realize how much more easy it is to tear down the careful 
and painstaking work of others than it is to develop a 
constructive argument, and we will, therefore, carefully 
guard our criticism and voice only such part of it as we 
believe has an important bearing on the consideration 
of the case. Points upon which we may differ in minor 
degree only we will entirely omit from mention. We 
are not attacking the report, but only endeavoring to 
shed the light of our experience upon its essential 
statements. 

In order that it may not with reason be asked why we 
did not bring up these differences at the time we were 
courteously given an opportunity to discuss possible dif¬ 
ferences with your engineers, we must explain that it 


Page one hundred fourteen 


has required weeks of careful study of the engineers' 
figures and consideration and comparison of our own 
data with them to develop the differences, which were 
not apparent from the brief inspection made while our 
officials were in Washington. 

There follows herewith the results of a very compre¬ 
hensive, detailed study of the engineering report. 

“Nevada-Utah Route Study” 

“I. The Problem" 

Our basic difference with your engineers’ statement of 
the problem has been elaborately explained. This dif¬ 
ference is more important than any others that can de¬ 
velop, as it is fundamental and affects the importance of 
all their appended data. 

“II. Geological and Historical Sketch" 

This data is interesting and correct. It has no bear¬ 
ing on the problem. 

“III. Comparison of North and South Routes" 

“1. Distances" 

Our facts differ materially from many of the state¬ 
ments of distance made in the engineering report. A 
consistent difference between two sets of figures made 
by logging routes with different cars and different 
speedometers would be of no consequence. We refer to 
wide variations in distance, sometimes one way and 
sometimes the other, which cannot be attributed to this 
cause. It is worth noting that our differences indicate 
inaccuracies in the figures of the engineering report 
showing distances along the Northern Route which are 
favorable to the proponents of that Route; while the dif¬ 
ferences between our figures and those of the engineer¬ 
ing report showing distances along the Lincoln Highway 
are unfavorable to the proponents of that route. 

Comparative Table Showing Mileage Differences 

We present here a table showing the distances given 
by your engineers and our best data as to the distances 
between the same points on both routes, together with 
notes explaining our figures. 


Page one hundred fifteen 


THE NORTHERN ROUTE 
(All Figures Refer to Distance in Miles) 


Road 

Engrs. 

Ours 

Main Forks-Knolls. 

. 63.30 

63.30 

Knolls-Wendover . 

. 40.30 

40.30 

Wendover-Wells . 

. 65.50 

65.50 

Wells-Halleck . 

. 31.10 

31.10 

Halleck-Carlin . 

. 43.44 

44.30 

Carlin-Dunphy . 

. 30.63 

30.63 

Dunphy-Battle Mt. 

. 20.00 

25.90 

Battle Mt.-Winnemucca. 

. 56.06 

61.30 

Winnemucca-Mill City.. 

. 29.00 

29.60 

Mill City-Lovelocks. 

. 44.50 

45.60 

Lovelocks-Wadsworth .. 

. 64.00 

64.00 

Total to Wadsworth.. 

.487.83 

501.53 


probably correct; our reading, 64.20. 
checks with us. 

new route; have not measured it; old route, 
70.4. 

same as R. R.; our reading, 34.0. 
new state construction; our reading, 44.3. 
new location; no data. To Dunphy ranch, 
via Maggie Creek, 32.8. 
is our reading. 

is our reading over new state construction 
most of way; S. P. and W. P. R. R.’s 
each 59; through swamp land, 
is our reading. New location follows old 
road. 

is our reading; new completed state road, 
new location; we have no data. 


Our Total . 

Engineers’ Total 


.501.53 

487.83 


Difference involved . 

Wadsworth-Sacramento .180.2 is our log. 


13.70 


Main Forks-Sacramento, Total... .681.73 


THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY 

Road Engrs. Ours 

Main Forks-Granite Mt... 79.1 79.1 

Granite Mt.-Black Pt. 20.3 20.3 

Black Pt.-State Line. 30.9 27.1 

State Line-Tippett. 19.2 19.0 

Tippett-Anderson's .20.2 19.3 

Anderson’s-Schel. Summit. 5.9 5.9 

Schel. Sum-Schel. Jet.... 5.4 5.4 

Schel. Jet.-Ely . 38.1 37.1 

Ely-Pancake Summit. 59.0 55.18 

Pancake-Eureka . 17.3 17.3 

Eureka-Forest Reserve.... 61.2 60.3 

Forest R’eserve-Austin .... 12.8 11.96 

Austin-Campbell . 35.6 35.6 

Campbell-Eastgate . 17.6 17.6 

Eastgate-Grimes . 47.1 45.9 


469 7 457.04 

Grimes to Wadsworth.... 40.2 40.20 


Total to Wadsworth..... .509.9 497.24 


Engineers’ Total .509.9 

Our Total .497.24 

Difference involved . 12.66 

Engineering Report total Lincoln Way to Wadsworth .509.90 

Engineering Report total Northern Route to Wadsworth.487.83 

Indicating as saving via Northern Route . 22.07 

Our total, Northern Route to Wadsworth .501.53 

Our total, Lincoln Way to Wadsworth.497.24 

Indicating as saving via Lincoln Way. 4.29 

Road Ours 

Total, Main Forks to Grimes.457.04 


Grimes-Leeteville . 18.0 which will probably be made 15.0. 

Leeteville-Carson .57.9 now, which should be shortened 5%. 

Carson-Sacramento .136.6 probably little change can be made. 


Main Forks-Sacramento, Total. .669.54 

Main Forks-Sacramento, via Northern Route .681.73 

Main Forks-Sacramento, via Lincoln Highway .669.54 

Saving via Lincoln Highway. 12.19 miles 


new location; no data; present trails, 80.0; 

can be shortened, 
checks with us. 

Utah survey, via Overland, shows this can 
be made in less than 27.1. 
is the old trail, running around obstruc¬ 
tions ; this should be materially reduced, 
is present road; no reason for lengthening, 
this is 0.9 longer than present route; O. K. 
tho Nevada survey indicates 5.1. 
is shown elsewhere in engineers’ report, 
state’s survey, 
new location; have no data, 
is trail distance, which should be shortened, 
is present road, with 6% max. grade, 
have no data via this new location, 
have no data via this new location, 
is present; this should be reduced. 


(for purpose of comparison to Wadsworth). 






















































Page one hundred sixteen 


Comments on Mileage Differences Noted 

We provide herewith detailed explanatory comments 
on the mileage differences indicated in the foregoing 
table. 

The Northern Route 

Main Forks to Knolls: Our figures are slightly in excess 
of those in the report, but we accept its figures. 

Knolls to Wendover: We check exactly with the engineers. 

Wendover to Wells: We have never traveled the route 
proposed, which we understand is entirely different from any 
heretofore used—hence we have no figures to check against. 
The old route we measured was 5.1 miles longer than the 
figures shown. 

Wells to Halleck: Our measurement is 3.8 miles longer 
than that shown by the report. Our measurements were 
made on what we understood was the permanent route, but 
as changes may be contemplated we do not desire to dispute 
these figures. 

Halleck to Carlin: We understand this road is completed; 
new construction by the State of Nevada. We measured the 
route in 1922 and our measurement was 44.3 as against 43.44 
shown by the report. 

Carlin to Dunphy: This is a new location on which we 
have no data. If the route is to run via Maggie Creek, our 
measurement to the Dunphy Ranch is 32.8 as against 30.63 
shown by the Federal engineers; however, we do not dispute 
the report’s measurement. 

Dunphy to Battle Mountain: We logged this section from 
the point on the south side of the river where the road from 
Dunphy ranch, via the new bridge, will join the present road, 
because that is as near to Dunphy as it is possible to get 
by motor. We allow 1.5 miles as the distance between Dun¬ 
phy ranch and the point from which we logged. With this 
allowance, which is fair, we find the distance to be 25.9 miles. 
As this is through a very swampy country and the route we 
followed travels as closely as possible to the swamp land, 
we do not see how it can be shortened by anywhere near 
the amount shown by the engineers. 

Battle Mountain to Winnemucca: The report shows as 
56.06 miles; a large part of this is over new construction 
which we measured in 1922 and found to be 61.3 miles; this 
is through a low, swampy country where it would hardly 
seem feasible to construct a grade directly in a straight line 
through the swamp; the Southern Pacific and Western Pacific 
railroads followed this course—4hat is, built in an air line 
through the swamp land. According to the best data we 
can find, each of them makes the distance 59 miles. We, there- 


Page one hundred seventeen 


fore, believe that our measurement of 61.3 miles is more 
nearly accurate than that shown by the report. 

Winnemucca to Mill City: We followed the proposed loca¬ 
tion of the ultimate road and made the distance 29.6 as against 
29.0, shown by the report. 

Mill City to Lovelocks: 1 his section was practically com¬ 
pleted as a new state highway, built with Federal aid, when 
our log was made in 1922; the report shows this distance 
as 44.5, our measurement was 45.6 miles. 

Lovelocks to Wadsworth: This road is in a new location, 
we understand; we do not question the report’s mileage. 

The differences we have noted make our measurement 
between Main Forks and Wadsworth, via the Northern 
Route, 501.53 miles as against 487.83 miles, shown by 
the engineers’ report; adding 180.2 as the mileage which 
our records show to be the correct distance between 
Wadsworth and Sacramento via Reno, we make the dis¬ 
tance between Main Forks and Sacramento, via the 
Northern Route, 681.73 miles. 

The Lincoln Highway 

Main Forks to Granite Mountain: The engineers’ report 
shows the distance as 79.1 miles; the present route we find 
to be exactly 80 miles, or .9 of a mile longer than that shown 
by the report. More than half of the present road is nothing 
but the old trail on which not a foot of construction has ever 
been made. This trail winds around sandy spots, washes 
and other natural obstructions, in whatever appeared to be 
the most convenient manner. While we believe this distance 
should be very materially shortened, when new construction 
is undertaken, we use the mileage given in the report in 
our table. 

Granite Mountain to Black Point: The report checks ex¬ 
actly with us. 

Black Point to State Line: The engineers show 30.9 miles; 
we believe this distance should not exceed 27.1 miles. In 
fact, we believe even the latter figure should be materially 
reduced. In support of this we call attention to the fact that 
the engineers measured by way of Gold Hill, which is not 
the shortest and best location; this has been acknowledged 
by the State of Utah, which contracted to construct a road 
from Black Point directly to Overland Canyon. The state 
made a survey connecting Black Point with the present road 
in Overland Canyon. The route through Overland Canyon 
is the State Highway. (See Utah State Highway Map). 

State Line to Tippett: The report shows 19.2 miles as 
the distance; the old trail leading between these two points, 


Page one hundred eighteen 


which was used for a great many years and which is still 
used to a certain extent and which winds around washes, 
following the contours of arroyos, running around sand ridges, 
etc., is 19 miles even; this distance should be materially 
reduced, particularly in Antelope Valley, when a raised grade 
is built. 

Tippett to Anderson’s: The report shows the distance as 
20.2 miles; the present road is 19.3 miles; we see no reason 
why additional distance should be necessary on this stretch, 
as there are no heavy grades where distance would need to 
be added in order to develop the maximum allowed by your 
regulations. 

Anderson’s to Schellbourne Summit: The engineers add .9 
of a mile to the present route, which is 5 miles even; as some 
grade must be developed in the last one-half or three-quar¬ 
ters of a mile to the summit, we use their figure. 

Schellbourne Summit to Schellbourne Junction: The report 
shows the distance here as 5.4 miles on a new location on 
which we have no data. 

Schellbourne Junction to Ely: The report shows 38.1 miles; 
in this instance the engineers have erroneously added one 
mile to their own figures, as will be noted by referring to 
“Section III, Subhead I”; under this division the report 
shows 16 sections of the route between Main Forks and Ely; 
among them, Schellbourne Junction to McGill—24.1 miles; 
McGill to Ely—13 miles—a total of 37.1 miles, which is the 
correct distance. 

Ely to Pancake Summit: The report shows 59.0; this route 
has all been surveyed by the state engineers. They divided 
it into five sections; the total of their surveys for these five 
sections is 55.18, which we believe is more nearly correct 
than the mileage shown by the report. 

Pancake Summit to Eureka: The report shows 17.3 miles; 
we understand this is a new location which we have never 
measured and hence have no data; therefore we use this 
figure. 

Eureka to the Forest Reserve: The report shows 61.2 miles; 
the present distance is 60.3 miles, which we believe is more 
nearly correct. Inasmuch as most of this road lies through 
a flat country, is nothing but old natural trail, laid out so 
as to take advantage of natural configuration, water-holes, 
etc., we believe the distance of 60.3 miles should be very 
materially shortened, but we have used the present figure 
in our table. 

Forest Reserve to Austin: The report shows the distance 
as 12.8 miles; this road was constructed in 1920 by the Forest 
Reserve forces, whose survey of it shows 11.96 miles. There 
are three or four curves which are too sharp, but as the max¬ 
imum grade is 6% we see no reason why nearly a mile should 


Page one hundred nineteen 


be added to this distance; in fact, we believe no added dis¬ 
tance is necessary to give better radius to the curves. 

Austin to Eastgate: This is a new location over Carroll 
Summit. We have no data and therefore use the mileage 
given by the report. 

Eastgate to Grimes: The report shows 47.1 miles; the 
present measurement is 45.9 miles. This route is quite defi¬ 
nitely fixed, as several hundred thousand dollars, including 
Federal aid, have already been expended in construction over 
the most difficult sections, which would have to be abandoned 
to lengthen it; the balance is mainly in flat country, there 
is not a grade which comes anywhere near the maximum fixed 
by your Department and what is not already constructed is 
old desert trail, which is always longer than is an engineered 
road. Therefore, we think 45.9 miles should be the maximum 
figure used for this section. 


Mileage Difference Favors Lincoln Highway 

Our mileage figures between Main Forks and Grimes 
Ranch total 457.04 miles; the report gives the distance 
between Grimes Ranch and Wadsworth as 40.2 miles, 
which shows a total distance of 497.24 miles; this is 4.29 
miles shorter than the distance we figure the Northern 
Route to be, instead of 22 miles longer, as the report in¬ 
dicates—in other words, we differ 26.3 from the report 
in total measurements, even while omitting any differ¬ 
ences in regard to which we are in any way in doubt, 
and giving the report of the engineers the benefit of the 
doubt. 

Now, taking Sacramento as our checking point, and 
taking our measurement from Main Forks to Grimes as 
457.04 miles, we add 18 miles as the distance from 
Grimes to Leeteville, this being the maximum which has 
ever been shown (we believe this will be reduced ap¬ 
proximately three miles). From Leeteville to Carson 
the present distance is 57.9 miles, which we use in our 
table, although this should be shortened approximately 
5 per cent; from Carson to Sacramento the distance now 
is 136.6 miles, which will probably be changed but very 
little; thus we arrive at a total distance between Main 
Forks and Sacramento of 669.54 miles, as against our 
computation of the Northern Route’s distance between 
the same points, of 681.73 miles, or a difference of 12.19 
miles in favor of the Lincoln Highway. 


Page one hundred twenty 


This question of relative distance is not of primary 
importance at all, although stressed in your engineers’ 
report. That is to say, a difference of 2 per cent is im¬ 
material, but what difference there is, favors the Lincoln 
Highway. 

“2. Status of Federal Aid Projects” 

The engineering report shows under this heading that 
both routes between Main Forks, Utah, and Wadsworth, 
Nevada, are progressing at about the same rate toward 
completion with Federal aid in Nevada, and that no 
Federal aid has been allowed on either route in Utah. 
The status of this consideration remains about the same 
if the western terminus is moved to Sacramento. Both 
routes from the Nevada state line to Sacramento, in Cali¬ 
fornia, are on the state’s Federal aid system. It is imma¬ 
terial to a consideration of the problem which route may 
at the moment have more Federal aid projects under 
agreement. 

The Lincoln Highway from Leeteville to Carson City, 
Nevada, is not on the State Federal aid system. The 
importance of this route, as indicated in our previously 
presented data, dictates its inclusion in the Federal aid 
system. Like many other roads in Nevada, it has been 
left off the Federal aid system because the state’s Fed¬ 
eral aid mileage does not permit the inclusion of all roads 
of importance in the Federal system. We submit, how¬ 
ever, that it is more important that this route (57.9 mi.) 
be on the Federal aid system of Nevada than it is that 
the road from Ely to Pioche should be on the Federal 
aid system or that the road from Wendover to Schell- 
bourne Junction (82.5 mi.) should be included. 

”3. Population, Valuation and Traffic" 

We have no important comments to make on this sec¬ 
tion of the engineering report other than to again men¬ 
tion the fact that the relative population along these two 
routes and the relative physical valuation have very little 
to do with the problem, for two reasons. First, that the 
through traffic is not interested in traversing a region 
because it may have slightly the preponderance of popu- 




Page one hundred twenty-one 


lation, or because its valuation is greater. Second, be¬ 
cause both routes are going to be built anyhow west of 
Wells and west of Ely, and the comparison of population 
in Nevada, therefore, is immaterial as is a comparison 
of the relative valuation. 

The only thought which your engineers’ figures in 
connection with this subject have brought to mind is that 
the railroads, of course, are responsible for the great 
excess of assessed valuation along the Northern Route. 
Here is a belt of country the development of which has 
long been stimulated by the existence of these railroads. 
One would naturally suppose that the population in this 
belt would therefore be greater than in another belt of 
approximately equal area without railroad facilities. 
Your report’s examination of the relative population 
figures in Nevada, however, shows that the population 
along the Lincoln Highway is greater than along the 
Northern Route. This seems to indicate that the central 
belt would, if it had a railroad, or if it had the advantage 
of a through connecting motor road, develop a very 
much larger population and prosperity than has been de¬ 
veloped during fifty years along the Southern Pacific 
and Western Pacific railroads in northern Nevada. 

‘Traffic" 

It is under this head that the engineering report speaks 
of traffic to Los Angeles and dismisses the interests of 
this traffic with a brief reference to the Arrowhead Trail 
as being the road which was carrying most of the traffic 
to Los Angeles anyhow and not the Midland Trail from 
Ely. Under this head also your engineers state that the 
local traffic on both routes is negligible, a point we have 
impressed. The report states that the local traffic is 
now slightly greater on the Northern Route in Nevada 
than on the Lincoln Highway and “slightly greater on 
the Lincoln Highway in Utah than on the Northern 
Route." Inasmuch as there is no local traffic whatsoever 
beyond Grantsville on the Northern Route in Utah, this 
latter statement can be looked upon as conservative. 

Under this head, the engineering report points out 
that the inconsequential local traffic along the Lincoln 
Highway in Nevada will be given “an adequate connec- 


Page one hundred twenty-two 


tion” with Salt Lake City via Ely-Schellbourne Junction- 
Wendover. It adds that the through traffic is not ex¬ 
pected to follow this road. The extravagance of expend¬ 
ing in Nevada close to $900,000.00 to build a new road 
between Schellbourne Junction and Wendover to serve 
the “inconsequential” local traffic only, is not touched 
upon. 

“4. Water and Supplies Available” 

The engineering report states that water is available 
at intervals of sufficient frequency on both routes, and 
that supplies and garage facilities will follow the travel. 
We agree that this assumption is correct, with the excep¬ 
tion of along the proposed construction between Wend¬ 
over and Schellbourne Junction. We are not inclined to 
believe that any stations designed to serve through 
traffic will be developed along this 88.6 miles of unin¬ 
habited route. Through traffic is not heavy enough 
during June, July, August, September and October to 
warrant the establishment of stations for the sole pur¬ 
pose of catering to it and the local traffic at all times 
would be too light to support such stations. 

The only stations which have developed to serve the 
traffic along any of the main routes in the West under 
consideration, have resulted from existing ranches or 
communities supplying service to the traffic. In no in¬ 
stance that we know of have stations been especially 
established for the sole purpose of catering to travel, as 
would be necessary between Magnuson’s Ranch, 6.1 mi. 
south of Schellbourne Junction, and Wendover. 

The Longest Walk to Water 

We wish to point out that the engineering report 
states under this heading that the longest possible walk 
to water on the Lincoln Highway is 17 miles, in other 
words, the longest distance between water is 34 miles— 
Orr’s Ranch to Granite Mountain Spring. The report 
neglects to state that between Orr’s Ranch and the 
Granite Mountain Spring, the present Lincoln Highway 
passes “County Well,” 17 miles from Orr’s. 

It is true that this well is not now running, as it has 
not been maintained and kept clean. However, there 


1 



Nearing County Well on the present Lincoln Highway between 
Orrs Ranch and Granite Mountain Spring. Many sections of this 
natural road are virtual speedways 



Tourists stopping for water at Granite Mountain Spring. The 
state laid f, ooo' of underground pipe to bring this water to the road 










Page one hundred twenty-three 


has always been water developed at this point in the so- 
called “Government Wash,” and it is a well known fact 
that water can again be developed by the simple process 
of cleaning out the well, which was originally dug 20' 
deep in the days of the old stage line, and later driven 
60' deep. 

We recognize the fact that the alignment between 
Orr’s Ranch and Granite Mountain, selected by the engi¬ 
neers and considered in the report, shortens the distance 
2 miles by running north of the County Well. However, 
the new alignment also crosses the Government Wash 
and a well can certainly and inexpensively be driven on 
a line with the present County Well at about 17 miles 
distance from Orr’s Ranch. Such an easy and quick 
water development, if it were important, which it is not, 
would make the longest walk to water on the Lincoln 
Highway about 8.5 miles. 

The report states that the longest walk to water on 
the Northern Route is 6 miles. We wish to point out 
that between Wendover and Proctor (a section house 
on the Western Pacific Railroad, in sight from the point 
where the Northern Route crosses the railroad) is a dis¬ 
tance of 19 miles along which there is no water. Here, 
therefore, the longest walk to water would be 9.5 miles. 
Also, there is now no water available between Low Station 
(a point about one-quarter of a mile south of the North¬ 
ern Route) and Knolls, a distance of 19.8 miles. Both 
these points are section houses, where drinking water 
can be secured, but the longest walk to water between 
these points would be 9.9 miles. 

We bring out these points not because they are mate¬ 
rial to the problem, but merely to indicate a certain 
“color,” noticeable frequently in the report, favorable to 
the Northern Route, a “color” which we wish to point 
out again we believe was unconsciously injected into the 
report by your engineers as a result of their continual 
association during their investigations with those who 
were exerting every effort to prove the Northern Route’s 
desirability over the Lincoln Highway. Those favoring 
the Lincoln Highway, including our National, State and 
local officials, were not given an opportunity to assist 
your engineers during their investigations. 


Pa&f one hundred twenty-four 


“ Desert Hazards" 

Under this head the report points out that there are 
long stretches on both routes without habitations. It 
cites the distance between Orr’s Ranch and Gold Hill on 
the Lincoln Highway (66.9) ; it neglects to cite the dis¬ 
tance between Wadsworth and Lovelocks (63.0 miles) 
and the distance between Wells and Wendover (65.5 
miles) without habitations on the Northern Route. The 
report refers to the distance between Wells and Wend¬ 
over by stating that tourist traffic could readily reach the 
railroad or ranches two to eight miles away across coun¬ 
try to the north and east, along the Southern Pacific 
Railroad; another instance, in our opinion, of the ab¬ 
sorption into the report of local color. 

Further under this head the report states that the 
question of habitations is of little importance except in 
seasons of light traffic, as aid can be expected from other 
tourists rather than from the railroads or infrequent 
ranches, in case of trouble. The report does not point out 
that in seasons of light traffic, when no assistance from 
other tourists can be depended upon—that is to say, dur¬ 
ing at least seven months of the year—the travel on the 
suggested connection from Wendover to Schellbourne 
Junction could readily encounter difficulty 44 miles from 
the nearest habitation or possibility of human assistance 
or communication, the distance between habitations or 
points of communication on this link being 88.6 miles. 

The report, being unconcerned with the heavy Los 
Angeles travel, devotes no attention to the real '‘Desert 
Hazards" on the Mohave Desert. 

“5. Curvature" 

The report dismisses the question of relative curva¬ 
ture on the two routes as of no significance, it being 
possible to secure adequate curvature where necessary 

on both. 

"6. Time in Transit" 

In the elaborate computation used in the report to 
work out a theoretical time in transit over both routes 
between Main Forks and Wadsworth, a table as to the 


Page one hundred twenty-five 


way grades affect traveling time is used, in regard to 
which we have no knowledge. This computation indi¬ 
cates, to the satisfaction of your engineers, that the dif¬ 
ference in time required to drive the two routes is 2 hours 
and 40 minutes. This difference is insignificant anyhow, 
and of no real importance to the problem if it were ten 
times as great, for the reason that a possible saving of 
time, by driving a route which does not lead the major 
part of the travel to its desired destination, is immate¬ 
rial. We assume, however, that much of the difference 
in time computed was due to the difference in mileage 
indicated. It is sufficient here to point out that the Lin¬ 
coln Highway is 12.19 miles shorter between Main Forks 
and Sacramento than the Northern Route. 

Tourists who might be traversing either of these 
routes between Salt Lake City and Sacramento would 
take several days for the journey. The possibility of an 
hour or two of theoretical difference in the driving time 
would, even if both routes were completed to a govern¬ 
ment standard for the entire distance, have no bearing 
on the choice of the through travelers, the majority of 
whom would take the route offering the greatest scenic 
and historic attractions, even if the difference in time re¬ 
quired was twenty-four hours. We will point out later 
that the Lincoln Highway is the most scenic and historic 
route across Nevada. 

“7. Operation Cost" 

Elaborate theorizing on this subject for the purpose 
of arriving at a fanciful difference in cost of operation 
per vehicle of $6.93 between Main Forks and Wads¬ 
worth, while interesting, of course has no bearing on 
the true problem. We have no way of figuring what this 
difference would be as applied to the routes between 
Main Forks and Sacramento, but submit that one guess 
is as good as another. The only reason that this matter 
is touched upon here at all is to point out another in¬ 
stance of what we have referred to as “color,” in the 
capitalizing of this assumed difference in cost on the 
basis of 100 vehicles per day for 365 days per year and 
arriving at an arbitrary sum as the interest at 5% on 
$5,058,900.00. 


Page one hundred twenty-six 


The fact is that, if the engineering report’s calculation 
is accurate, this difference of $6.93 amounts to but 1/3 
of a cent per mile, per person, based on 4 persons to the 
vehicle and a distance of 509 miles. Further reference 
to this subject of “Operation Cost” will be made under 
the heading, “Profiles and Rise and Fall.” 

“8 & 9. Profiles and Rise: and Fall” 

Much space is devoted in the engineering report 
to the tabulation of summits; to tabulations showing 
mileage of grades of various percentages; and to the 
question of relative “rise and fall.” 

One of the fundamental errors into which we believe 
your engineers have fallen, in comparing the relative 
values of the two possible main routes, is that of ap¬ 
proaching the problem as they would if, as engineers, 
they were locating a railroad for the economical opera¬ 
tion of freight and passenger trains. Such detailed com¬ 
parative data in regard to the routes applies in no respect 
to this problem, whether we place the western terminal 
arbitrarily at Wadsworth or at its true point of location, 
Sacramento. 

We have shown that it is conservative to assume 
that 90% of the travel which will use any road improved 
between either two points consists of “foreign cars,” 
traveling for pleasure. But regardless of what percent¬ 
age of the travel represents the “foreign cars” that 
travel is all that is to be considered in connection with 
relative “Rise and Fall” and “Profile” anyhow, for the 
local travel using either route is subjected to the rise 
and fall of the country in any event. Local travel using 
either route cannot use the other one to avoid summits. 
The only travel, therefore, at all interested in the com¬ 
parative profiles of the two possible routes, is the through 
travel—“the foreign car.” 

Passengers not Freight Prime Consideration 

Now while railroad engineers would seek a location as 
flat as possible and would avoid “rise and fall” to save 
cost of construction and cost of operation, largely dis¬ 
regarding the comfort, pleasure and attractiveness of 



Page one hundred twenty-seven 


the route for those who journey through the area, high¬ 
way engineers in planning a route for tourists’ traffic 
cannot, we submit, be governed by any such considera¬ 
tions. They must largely consider the pleasure, com¬ 
fort and attractiveness of the route. Motorists do not 
flock to Switzerland because it is a flat monotonous 
plain, easy to drive and through which it is economical 
to operate a motor vehicle! Switzerland is not the 
Mecca for the tourists of the world for any such reason! 

No man was ever known or will ever be known to 
drive his car and take his family through an uninterest¬ 
ing and disagreeable flat country for pleasure and rec¬ 
reation, due to the fact that it is a fraction of a cent 
a mile cheaper in gasoline consumption than another 
route traversing a beautiful scenic area with many in¬ 
teresting historic associations. The basic error of using 
data in regard to rise and fall as a foundation for any 
elaborate argument in favor of one route or another 
designed for tourist traffic, is therefore obvious. 

The data compiled by your engineers under this head 
will be of value as indicating the ultimate desirability 
of constructing both routes, as we have before pointed 
out should ultimately be done. In case through vehicular 
freight traffic should, as it may, become of importance, 
it would go by way of the route with less “rise and fall”; 
but of course that traffic is not in sight as an important 
factor. Particularly is freight traffic not a factor in the 
situation now, along the Northern Route, as the rail¬ 
roads there serve not only the light passenger traffic 
developed locally but also for all freight transportation 
required between Salt Lake City or Reno, and points in 
northern Nevada. Along the Lincoln Highway, where 
the greater population is situated, an improved highway 
must serve for both freight and passenger travel, due 
to the non-existence of east and west railroad facilities 
and the impracticability of providing an east and west 
railroad across central Nevada because of the topog¬ 
raphy discussed in the engineering report. 

Lincoln Way Scenic and Historic Nevada Route 

Scenically the two routes across Nevada cannot be 
compared. The Northern Route follows the low country 


Page one hundred twenty-eight 


along the Humboldt River and through swamp land of 
the utmost unattractiveness and monotony for 500 miles. 
The Lincoln Highway, on the other hand, as is indicated 
by its profile, provides a series of changing views and 
distant prospects from its many summits which are one 
of the delights of the eastern tourist crossing the West. 
None of the summits on the Lincoln Highway are in 
any way difficult to traverse; none of them even approach 
in height the summits which must later be crossed on 
any route into California, in the Sierras. They do, how¬ 
ever, pleasingly break the monotony of the drive across 
the frequent flats and valleys in a way most welcome to 
those grown weary of the long level stretches of the 
Middle West. 

That the relative scenic attractions of the western 
roads should be given consideration as an important 
element in the decision as to which should be first im¬ 
proved for the tourist traffic they are designed to serve, 
was well brought out in a recent report prepared for the 
Secretary of the Interior by Dr. Frank A. Waugh, of 
the United States Forest Service, who in commenting 
on the scenic attractions of Utah made the following 
statement, pertinent here: 

“It is urged that in the development of any rec¬ 
reation program, every effort be used to play up 
minor interests along the main road, to interpret to 
travelers the genuine beauty which these interven¬ 
ing spaces certainly possess, and use these stretches 
of quieter landscape as a physical and psychological 
preparation for the highly spectacular features 
zvhich now serve as main objectives for tourists 

The main objectives for west-bound tourists leaving 
Salt Lake City for central and southern California com¬ 
prise the spectacular attractions of Lake Tahoe, the 
Yosemite, the Redwoods, Sequoia and General Grant 
National Parks and the beauties of the Sierras. But the 
route to such main objectives should unquestionably be 
so selected as to provide, if possible, scenic attractions 
of its own. It should not be regarded by tourists or road 
locaters as merely a necessary hardship—as a route to 



Page one hundred twenty-nine 


be traversed as quickly as possible through an area one 
is forced to cross—but as a highway through a region 
holding much of scenic and historic interest. 

A Drive of Superlative Interest and Charm 

The Lincoln Highway across Nevada, once brought 
to that stage of satisfactory improvement guaranteed by 
existing contracts, will be a drive of superlative interest, 
possessing a unique scenic charm and with character¬ 
istics as noble and inspiring in their way as those of 
Colorado, Arizona, Oregon or California. The Lincoln 
Way is the old trail of the pioneers; of the Pony Ex¬ 
press ; of the Overland Stage. Historic associations teem 
along its course and vie with the vast impressive empty 
distances which impress the eye from every summit, as 
elements of never-to-be-forgotten interest to the traveler. 
Those “Ghost Cities/' once thriving mining camps, hum¬ 
ming with life and industry in the boom days of the 70s— 
Eureka, Austin, Virginia City—possess a romantic at¬ 
traction for the traveler, with their history of past 
wealth and glamorous adventure, which no series of pro¬ 
saic farming communities, railroad stations and cattle 
towns can equal. The Lincoln Highway, from every 
standpoint, is the route across Nevada for the tourist 
“Seeing America First" and seeking educational recrea¬ 
tion and scenic inspiration. 


Page one hundred thirty 


CHAPTER XI 

“QUANTITIES AND COSTS” 

T HE comparative cost of construction of the two 
routes across Nevada is not pertinent to the prob¬ 
lem, in view of the admitted fact that both routes across 
Nevada must be built. The only part of the true prob¬ 
lem upon which relative costs can be assumed to have 
any bearing, is the relative cost of constructing to Ely 
by way of Wendover or by way of Ibapah. This we 
have commented upon, showing that the route to Ely 
by way of Ibapah (the Lincoln Way) can be opened 
not only much sooner but at less expense. 

Paving a Thousand Miles of Western Trail Is 

Hypothetical Only 

We have studied the data provided in the engineering 
report under the head of “Quantities and Costs” with 
care. Much of it can be disregarded as immaterial to 
the present problem; for example, all of that data having 
to do with the paving of the two routes. The report 
points out that the sparse population and the low valua¬ 
tion along both routes will not justify a high type of con¬ 
struction for many years to come. It presents, never¬ 
theless, elaborate tables as to the relative cost of paving 
which, under no circumstances, can be considered as of 
any practical value, for paving cost estimates made at 
this time, would be of no value 15 or 20 years hence, 
when it may become possible and advisable to contem¬ 
plate certain sections of paving. 

Before leaving the question of paving we call atten¬ 
tion to the following editorial comment in the engineer¬ 
ing report on this subject, which is important only as 
evidencing again that unconscious “color” of which we 
find evidences at many points: 

“The conditions governing on the southern route 
(Lincoln Highway), such as narrow gauge haul, distance 


Page one hundred thirty-one 


from rail, etc., are so extreme that the figures developed 
for cost of paving are almost stupefying” 

We see no reason for this gratuitous comment. The 
theoretical average cost per mile for paving the Lincoln 
Highway from Main Forks to Wadsworth, estimated in 
the report, is $33,000.00, which, as paving costs go, is 
by no means “stupefying/’ particularly when we stop to 
realize that under no circumstances will either route be 
paved before 1935. 

Comparative costs of completing a government stand¬ 
ard road to either the 16' or 24' width are also of 
academic interest only, for as we have pointed out, it 
will not be possible for many years to undertake to corm 
plete either road to even the minimum government 
standard. 

Cost comparisons to be of value to the problem must 
necessarily be based upon the relative cost in total of 
constructing only those sections which are necessary to 
open each road for through travel. These costs we have 
compared, utilizing your engineers’ estimates of cost per 
mile for the construction indicated as necessary. Un¬ 
fortunately these average costs per mile are of little value 
if applied to computing the cost of only a part of the 
total length of the project upon which the average is 
based in the report. This is due to the fact that con¬ 
struction of widely differing nature, difficulty, and ex¬ 
pense, is included in one project and the cost averaged 
for the entire project. One example of this will suffice. 

Difficulty of Accurately Comparing Costs of 
Sections Requiring Improvement 

The first project for Lincoln Highway construction 
presented in the engineering report is 79.1 miles in 
length and runs from Main Forks through to Granite 
Mountain. In this distance there are at least three 
differing requirements to be met by construction, each 
varying greatly in the cost per mile. 

The section from Main Forks to Clover lies in a level 
valley where there already exists an excellent gravel 
road and where a road can be brought to government 
specifications, either 16' or 24', at a very moderate cost. 


Page one liutidred thirty-two 


Probably it is already up to Government standard. From 
Clover west, nearly to Orr’s Ranch, this project trav¬ 
erses Fisher Pass where unquestionably the cost per 
mile of construction would be at least double the cost 
of construction in Rush Valley, for considerable blast¬ 
ing would be necessary and for a short distance a new 
alignment required to meet the Federal standard of 
maximum grade. The last condition encountered in this 
one project is that existing between Orr’s Ranch and 
Granite Mountain. Here the road would traverse prin¬ 
cipally long flats without any grade whatever and with 
a considerable haul required for gravelling purposes. 
The average cost per mile, therefore, between Main 
Forks and Granite Mountain, shown as $8,433.00, can 
hardly be applied accurately to computing the cost of 
any section of 5 or 10 miles in extent between the termi¬ 
nals of the project. We have used your engineers’ 
figures for this purpose, only because no others were 
available. 

It is unfortunate, from the standpoint of an endeavor 
to compare costs of needed construction, that separate 
projects were not established between points where the 
construction was of a generally similar nature, as was 
done, for example, on project Section 11, i. e., Knolls to 
Wendover—40.3 miles, across the Great Salt Lake 
Desert on the Northern Route and on project Section 
14, the Goodyear Cut-off—20.3 miles, across the Great 
Salt Lake Desert on the Lincoln Highway. Where this 
was done it becomes possible to accurately compare costs 
per mile in considering the really consequential question 
of which route can be opened to traffic with the least ex¬ 
pense for needed construction. 

Comparative Costs on the Two Desert 

Crossings in Utah 

At an expense to this organization of several thou¬ 
sands of dollars during the past ten years, our officials 
have made very thorough investigations as to methods 
and cost of highway construction on the Great Salt Lake 
Desert. These investigations have been made during pe¬ 
riods of both high and low water and in mid-winter as well 



T 






Looking across the Great Salt Lake Desert in 1916 at its narrowest 
point-—about where the Goodyear Cut-off was later built 



F. A. Seiberling , President , and other officials of the Lincoln High¬ 
way Association , investigating the soil and sub-surface water on 
the Great Salt Lake Desert in September , iqiy 






Page one hundred thirty-three 


as during the summer months. Much time has been spent 
in conversing and corresponding with those local resi¬ 
dents who have been familiar with this region all their 
lives. Many of these local residents are and have been for 
years our representatives. Not only have the officials 
of the Association themselves investigated local condi¬ 
tions thoroughly but the organization has employed 
engineers to make investigations and surveys. 

The investigations of our officials indicated as early as 
1916 the desirability of crossing the desert north of 
Fish Springs at its narrowest point and where careful 
prospecting indicated water could be developed, at 
Granite Mountain. 

During the course of the investigations which led 
up to the Association’s contribution to the State of Utah 
for the construction of this desert crossing, a profile 
survey was made and a careful study of the depth of 
water, which was present in the wet spring season at all 
points along the northward flow from the Sevier Desert 
toward Great Salt Lake. Mounds of desert soil were 
thrown up at many points to permit a study of the ex¬ 
tent of water erosion and the degree of capillarity of the 
soil. Tests were made as to the bearing capacity of the 
sub-soil and excavations were made at one mile intervals 
along the proposed line, to determine exactly at what 
depth the sub-surface water was encountered. 

Our Data Very Complete 

Careful investigations were also made along the line 
of the Western Pacific Railroad. Much interesting and 
valuable information was secured from those in charge 
of the Salduro salt mines, who were familiar from long 
personal observation with the conditions existing along 
the so-called Wendover road where the desert is 123 
feet lower in elevation than at the Lincoln Highway 
crossing. 

Investigations were conducted which led to the loca¬ 
tion at Black Point, on the west side of the desert, of 
unlimited quantities of excellent gravel, so placed by 
nature and of such character as to permit loading it into 
trucks or railway cars by gravity, or by steam shovels 
without blasting. 


Page one hundred thirty-four 


We cited the foregoing facts merely to indicate that 
we have at our command much experience and informa¬ 
tion enabling us to study intelligently the relative costs 
presented in the engineering report as to Section 11 and 
Section 14, the two crossings of the desert. 

Desert Links the Vital Factors on Both Roads 

We have already indicated previously in this Brief 
those sections of both routes in Utah which we know it 
is necessary to at once construct in order to provide a 
satisfactory and passable road to connect with either 
road across Nevada. Of primary importance, as nec¬ 
essarily the first section to be built as a part of either 
road, is the desert link in each. The Northern Route is 
travellable now, except for Section 11—40.3 miles. The 
Lincoln Highway is travellable now at all times, with 
the exception of Section 14—20.3 miles. The practical, 
present problem, of immediate and vital importance in 
any cost comparison between the two routes, therefore, 
is the question of relative expense of opening these two 
sections. 

Of importance only in this connection are the figures 
in the report showing the cost to complete, i. e., those 
which take into consideration the salvage value of work 
already done. The net cost to complete the Knolls to 
Wendover road (Section 11) is shown by the report to 
be $299,954.00. Since the report was compiled, the dis¬ 
trict engineer has increased the estimate by $80,000.00, 
which brings the total net cost estimated, to $379,954.00. 
The net cost of completing the Lincoln Highway desert 
crossing (Section 14) is estimated by your engineers to 
be $186,932.00. The saving effected by opening the 
Lincoln Way across the desert, over opening the Wend¬ 
over route, is therefore, $193,000.00; a sum greater than 
the total cost of opening the Lincoln Way! 

To construct the desert crossing to Wendover would 
require immediately over $98,000.00 from the State of 
Utah, or from Tooele County, to meet the Federal aid. 
To construct the Lincoln Highway desert crossing to 
the same high standard would require from the State 
of Utah, or from Tooele County, less than $49,000.00. 
(Tooele County will provide the money to open the 




Page one hundred thirty-five 


Lincoln Way desert crossing; it will provide no money 
to open the road to Wendover.) 

Opening Goodyear Cut-off Saves $1,000,000.00 

If the road to Wendover from Knolls is opened by the 
expenditure on the desert in Utah of $379,954.00 it is 
immediately necessary to expend $898,507.00 to open a 
road from Wendover to Schellbourne Junction and also 
$743,621.50 to open a road from Wendover to Wells, in 
Nevada. If the Lincoln Highway Goodyear Cut-off is 
opened, by the expenditure of $186,932.00 on the desert, 
the road to Ely is open without additional expenditure, 
in Nevada, for many years. Others may claim that if 
the Lincoln Highway desert crossing is opened, imme¬ 
diate expense will be entailed in Nevada to connect the 
Northern Route from Halleck with the Lincoln Way 
at Gold Hill, but we have shown why this is not by any 
means necessary. 

Eliminating theoretical considerations entirely, the 
cold fact is that the difference in expense necessitated at 
once is the difference between $1,278,461.00 (Knolls to 
Wendover and Wendover to Schellbourne Junction) and 
$186,932.00 (Granite Mountain to Black Point) or 
$1,091,529.00, a sum equal to more than half of the total 
amount Utah and Nevada combined receive from a Con¬ 
gressional Federal aid appropriation of $75,000,000.00. 

Some Comments on Estimates 

In our foregoing comparisons we used your engineers' 
figures. However, we cannot entirely agree with them. 
Nor do we understand the method of figuring the esti¬ 
mates on the two desert links. 

Perhaps some of the differences we wish to bring out 
here are covered by the additional $80,000.00, which has 
been added to the estimates since we inspected them. 
We are not clear, however, on several points. For ex¬ 
ample, the estimate on the construction of Section 14 
(Lincoln Highway) as a 24' grade, shows a total of 
225,000 cubic yards of excavation as required. The 
estimate on the excavation required on Section 11 
(Northern Route) as a 24' grade is 354,200 cubic 


Page one hundred thirty-six 


yards. Now the Northern Route crosses the desert 
at a lower elevation than the Lincoln Highway and 
at a point where the water reaches a much greater 
depth, at the lowest level of the entire desert where 
it is buffeted against the grade by the wind until it 
evaporates. Therefore, in providing for a grade of 
adequate height above high water for each road, it would 
naturally be assumed that considerably more fill would 
be required on the Northern Route. It will be noted 
from the above figures that while the Northern Route 
is double the length of the Lincoln Highway crossing, 
95,800 cubic yards less than double the amount of ex¬ 
cavating is estimated. This would indicate that the 
grade on the Northern Route is to be only about three- 
fourths as high as the grade on the Lincoln Highway. 

We feel that much more than double the cubic yardage 
estimated for the Lincoln Highway grade should be 
estimated for the Knolls to Wendover grade, in view of 
the fact that the distance is double and the height of 
the grade required is unquestionably greater. 

Differences in Unit Costs 

Further, we note that 75% of the total volume of ex¬ 
cavation estimated as required on the Northern Route is 
figured at 30c a cubic yard, whereas 80% of the total 
excavation estimated on the Lincoln Highway is figured 
at 60c per cubic yard, or double the cost of excavating 
on the Northern Route. Our experience fails to indicate 
any reason why there should be a 100% difference in 
the cost of excavating, with the same machinery, the 
same sort of desert soil on the Lincoln Highway and on 
the Northern Route. It is true that machinery and men 
can be more economically brought to the site of work 
along the Northern Route and that supplies can be pro¬ 
vided at a lower cost for transportation. We do not 
believe, however, that these overhead charges, incidental 
to the actual work of moving the yardage, justify a 
100% difference in the cost per cubic yard. 

Further, we note that in estimating the excavation re¬ 
quired on the Lincoln Highway (Section 14) as a 16' 
grade, 200,000 cubic yards are estimated at 60c per 
cubic yard and 5,000 cubic yards are estimated at $1.00 


Page one hundred thirty-seven 


per cubic yard, while in the estimate for the construction 
of the same section as a 24' grade, 200,000 cubic yards 
are again estimated at 60c per cubic yard and 25,000 
cubic yards more are separately estimated also at 60c per 
cubic yard. In other words, in the estimate for the 24' 
grade all of the excavation is estimated at 60c per cubic 
yard, whereas if a 16' grade is built at the same location 
your engineers, for a reason we cannot understand, esti¬ 
mate 5,000 cubic yards at $1.00. 

All of the engineers’ estimates on the construction of 
these desert grades are based on starting with nothing 
but flat desert and doing all of the work necessary to 
complete the grade, the salvage value of work already 
done being subtracted later. This being true, it is diffi¬ 
cult to understand why the same dirt to make a 24' grade 
can be moved at 60c per cubic yard that would cost $1.00 
per cubic yard on a 16' grade. 

Further, in the estimate for constructing the Lincoln 
Highway as a 16' grade, all excavating (205,000 cu. 
yds.) is shown to cost $125,000.00, while in the estimate 
for building the Lincoln Highway as a 24' grade, all of 
the excavating (225,000 cu. yds.) is shown to cost 
$135,000.00. In view of the fact that a 24' grade re¬ 
quires nearly 50% more excavating than a 16' grade, 
which means in this instance 20.3 miles of grade 8' 
wide, we cannot understand how this additional work 
can be accomplished at an additional expense of but $10,- 
000.00. If 16' of grade will cost $125,000.00 how can 
8' more grade of the same height at the same location 
be built for $10,000.00, or less than 10% more money 
for nearly 50% more work? 

Also, it will be noted that to build the Lincoln High¬ 
way grade 24' wide for 20.3 miles, is estimated to re¬ 
quire but 20,000 more cubic yards of excavation than is 
required to build it 16' wide. This addition of but ap¬ 
proximately 1,000 cubic yards per mile would permit of 
an 8' grade but about 8" high, while the estimate for 
the original 16' grade contemplates a grade 2' 8" high. 

Height of Grade Required 

Further examination of the estimates produces the 
following comparative data: 


Page one hundred thirty-eight 


Lincoln Highway, 24' grade—225,000 cu. yds. on 
20.3 miles equals 11,082 cubic yards per mile. 

This yardage provides for a grade 2' high. 

Northern Route, 24' grade—354,200 cu. yds. on 40.3 
miles equals 8,789 cubic yards per mile. 

This yardage provides for a grade 1' 7" high. 

Lincoln Highway, 16' grade—205,000 cu. yds. on 
20.3 miles equals 10,099 cubic yards per mile. 

This yardage provides for a grade 2' 8" high. 

From a consideration of the above it will be noted 
that a grade from 5" to 13" higher is estimated as re¬ 
quired on the Lincoln Highway, where there is a mini¬ 
mum of water, than is estimated as required on the 
Northern Route where there is a maximum of high 
water. It will also be noted that the estimates call for a 
grade on the Lincoln Highway 2' high, if it is built 
24' wide, and 2' 8" high if it is built 16' wide. We 
cannot understand why width of grade affects height 
necessary. 

Drainage Structures 

This question of adequately caring for the water, 
which at certain seasons of every year flows north on 
the Great Salt Lake Desert and which constitutes the 
real difficulty in adequately constructing any road across 
the desert, is very important. We note that your engi¬ 
neers have estimated the necessary expenditure of $11,- 
600.00 for drainage structures and culvert pipe on the 
Lincoln Highway desert crossing—20.3 miles in extent, 
where the main water is 50 yards wide at its highest 
point, while they estimate but $16,300.00, or only 40 per 
cent more expense, to take care of the drainage struc¬ 
tures necessary on the Northern Route crossing of 40.3 
miles, where the main flow of water is 6 miles wide at its 
high point. 

Surfacing 

After checking your engineers’ estimates of surfacing 
cost, based on 2,000 cu. yds. of gravel per mile on each 
route, we wish to point out that the cost of this surfacing 
per cubic yard on the Northern Route is estimated at 





The Wendover Road at a point near the edge of the salt beds , April 
18th , 1922. IVater was 12 miles wide by 40 miles long , maximum 
depth , 20”. Grade officially announced as completed December , 
1921. Completed 22' wide . four months later 8' 10 " 



Another view taken on the Wendover Road in 1922 showing the' 
destruction of the wooden guards placed to prevent the erosion of the 
salt water. No travel has ever been routed over this road 


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Page one hundred thirty-nine 


$2.00 and on the Lincoln Highway section at $5.00. 
Upon making inquiry as to the reason for this 150 per 
cent difference, we learned from your engineers that 
they estimated the cost of hauling gravel on the North¬ 
ern Route via the Western Pacific Railroad, while for 
the Lincoln Highway job they estimated motor truck 
haul. 

In each case the gravel must be transported some dis¬ 
tance. On the Northern Route, from a point in Nev¬ 
ada in the neighborhood of Silver Zone, an average rail 
haul of approximately 54 miles and on the Lincoln High¬ 
way, from Black Point, an average haul of 10 miles by 
truck or otherwise. 

We appreciate that a considerable saving is involved 
in the rail haul, and in the fact that along the Northern 
Route gravel can be dumped directly from the Western 
Pacific rails, even though it must be re-handled by con¬ 
veyors over a distance of 110' to the site of the desired 
grade. We do not believe, however, that your engineers 
have estimated the most economical method of hauling 
the gravel required for the Lincoln Highway. We be¬ 
lieve that the difference in cost of hauling and spreading 
can be made very much less than $2.50 per cu. yd. We 
maintain that the gravel for the surfacing of the Lincoln 
Highway desert section should be transported by indus¬ 
trial railroad, not by motor trucks. 

The cost of hauling by industrial railroad in level 
country should be approximately the same everywhere if 
a wage scale approximately the same is assumed. We 
have investigated the cost per ton mile of hauling via 
industrial railroad in Wayne County, Michigan. We 
find that last season the cost averaged 15c per ton mile, 
based on hauling about 500,000 tons, or 125,000 cars, 
an average distance of 3 miles, the maximum haul being 
6 miles and the minimum haul being 2 miles. Wayne 
County is level country, as is the Great Salt Lake Desert. 
The wage scale prevailing in Utah is less than that which 
prevailed in Wayne County, Michigan, in 1922. 

At 15c per ton mile it would cost $1.50 per ton for 
the average haul of 10 miles necessitated in gravelling 
the Lincoln Highway Goodyear Cut-off, and the cost 


Page one hundred forty 


per cu. yd. (\ l / 2 tons) would be $2.25, instead of $5.00, 
as estimated by your engineers on the basis of motor 
truck haul. 

Hauling by Industrial Railroad 

The above estimate of cost per ton mile for transporta¬ 
tion via industrial railroad (15c) does not include load¬ 
ing or unloading, but does include the laying and taking 
up of tracks and maintenance on tracks. As to the cost 
of loading and unloading, there is no reason to assume 
that it will be more expensive to load the gravel at Black 
Point onto industrial railroad cars than onto trucks, 
as the simple method of gravity loading would undoubt¬ 
edly be employed in either instance. The dump-cars of 
the industrial railroad, running on track laid on the pre¬ 
pared sub-grade, would dump onto the grade in the same 
manner as a motor truck. 

Mr. Edward N. Hines, Chairman of the Wayne 
County Board of Road Commissioners, states that his 
experience here, covering 13 years, has been that the 
longer the haul the lower the cost per ton mile. For 
example, while the average cost per ton mile in 1922 
in Wayne County was 15c, the season’s average haul 
being 3 miles, the cost on those jobs requiring a 6-mile 
haul averaged but llj4c per ton mile. It is reasonable, 
therefore, to assume that with pn average haul of 10 
miles, as necessitated on the Goodyear Cut-off, the cost 
per ton mile would be less than 15c. This indicates that an 
estimate of $2.25 per cu. yd. is conservative. 

In Wayne County 15 per cent for depreciation and 
overhead is added to the cost per ton mile. Adding this 
amount we produce an estimated cost of $2.59 per cu. 
yd., only slightly more than one-half the estimated cost 
of handling the surfacing with motor trucks. 

It remains only to state that to haul the gravel for the 
Goodyear Cut-off by industrial railroad would require 
20 miles of industrial railroad track, 5 locomotives and 
200 cars, which can be readily transported to the job by 
motor truck from Gold Hill, Utah, the railroad termi¬ 
nal, a distance of 12 miles. Industrial locomotives, track 
and dump-cars are regularly hauled about Wayne 
County in motor trucks. 


Page one hundred forty-one 


The foregoing data shows why we maintain that the 
estimate on the cost of surfacing the Lincoln Highway 
across the desert is approximately 100 per cent in excess 
of what it should be if the most efficient manner of doing 
the work were considered. This saving by the use of 
industrial railroad also affects the estimates on the cost 
of rip-rap, which is figured in your engineering report 
at $4.50 per cu. yd. on the Lincoln Highway and at 
$2.00 per cu. yd. on the Northern Route. Practically 
the same proportionate saving would be effected from 
this estimate, if the material for rip-rapping was trans¬ 
ported on industrial rails. 

Salvage 

The salvage estimated by your engineers on both the 
Northern Route and the Goodyear Cut-off on the Lin¬ 
coln Highway is very interesting to compare. 

The salvage value of the existing grade on the North¬ 
ern Route is estimated at $79,500.00, which, we were 
informed, is about 50 per cent of the value of the work 
first done. Thus apparently about $159,000.00 has been 
expended to date on the construction of the Northern 
Route between Knolls and Wendover. This work was 
accomplished between 1916 and 1921, it being the latter 
year when the Northern Route was officially proclaimed 
as “completed.” We wish to point out that, while $159,- 
000.00 or thereabouts has been expended on the con¬ 
struction of the northern crossing of the desert, that 
road has never been passable for through travel. 

On the other hand, the salvage value of the work 
already accomplished on the Lincoln Highway Goodyear 
Cut-off is estimated by your engineers to be $149,000.00. 
On this section there was expended the $100,000.00, 
contributed to the State of Utah by this Association, 
plus a sum which has been variously stated by the Utah 
State authorities. The largest sum ever stated to have 
been expended from the state treasury in addition to our 
money is $80,000.00. Thus, a possible maximum of 
$180,000.00 was expended on the improvement of the 
Goodyear Cut-off in 1918 and 1919. No expenditures 
have been made on this link since 1919, except for a few 
hundred dollars' worth of maintenance in 1920. This 


Page one hundred forty-two 


section has received no maintenance whatever since 
1920, yet the depreciation has been, according to your 
engineers' figures, but $31,000.00, or 17 per cent of the 
value of the work first done. This desert crossing has 
carried all of the travel west-bound from Salt Lake City, 
headed for Sacramento, since 1919. 

The Goodyear Cut-off Has Withstood Traffic 

and the Elements 

Four years of heavy travel and of constant attack by 
the elements on a route with very inadequate drainage 
facilities have depreciated the original value of the Lin¬ 
coln Highway grade 17 per cent. One season of attack 
by the elements, with no travel, has depreciated the value 
of the work accomplished on the Northern Route 50 per 
cent. This comment, based on your engineers’ estimates 
of the salvage value of existing work, is interesting as 
showing the far greater difficulty to be encountered in 
constructing and maintaining an adequate road across 
the desert to Wendover, than in constructing and main¬ 
taining one between Granite Mountain and Black Point. 

The Knolls to Wendover construction remains an un¬ 
solved problem. Methods attempted during six years 
have resulted in failure each season when the period of 
high water occurs. The method proposed by your engi¬ 
neers for constructing a grade across the salt flats, which 
comprises ditching through the salt at points where it is 
from 4' to 6' in thickness, and excavating clay from 
beneath the salt for the construction of a grade to rest 
upon the salt bed itself, has not been proven. This sug¬ 
gested method is based on inquiries made by your engi¬ 
neers of those who have been active in the work of con¬ 
structing the old grade between Knolls and Wendover, 
which has invariably failed. 

Our contention is that all data available, as well as the 
history of attempted road construction along the West¬ 
ern Pacific, points to the conclusion that, in undertaking 
this work, the Government and the state will be endeav¬ 
oring to solve an extremely difficult and unique problem, 
which is much more likely to involve more time and more 
money than is estimated, than less. 



Looking west from a point near the east end of the Goodyear Cut-off 
showing the damage done to the unsurfaced, unmaintained grade 

by traffic and the elements 



Looking west from a point about 7 miles from the west end of the 
Goodyear Cut-off showing how that section which was graveled, 
according to contract, has stood up under traffic and the elements 



























»I 






















» 






























Page one hundred forty-three 


un me other hand, in considering the early and eco¬ 
nomical opening of a road west from Salt Lake City, 
the Goodyear Cut-off, which was constructed by the 
most elemental methods and in the most obvious way, 
and which was never completed and never properly pro¬ 
tected from the attacks of water by adequate drainage 
structures or by surfacing, is still carrying the travel 
and has been the only road to stand up and remain passa¬ 
ble, even without maintenance. 

It has been already proven feasible to cross the desert 
between Granite Mountain and Black Point; it is a 
known fact that a road can be built and maintained there 
satisfactorily and at once. We contend that this work 
should be immediately done and the traffic provided with 
an avenue to the west while, if desirable, studies may 
proceed as to the practicability of opening the North¬ 
ern Route at some time in the future when it may be¬ 
come necessary as a connection for the local traffic of 
northern Nevada. 

Fallacy of Capitalizing Theoretical Savings 

A word of comment here on your engineering report’s 
summary, under the heading “Cost.” We deplore the 
policy of capitalizing theoretical savings at 5 per cent in 
order to develop enormous figures which mean little but 
tend to lend weight to previously adopted conclusions. 

In the summary under the heading “Cost,” the report 
shows the direct saving by the construction of the 
Northern Route between Main Forks and Wadsworth, 
to be $1,300,103.00. This figure represents the differ¬ 
ence in construction cost estimated on the basis of a 24' 
government standard road entirely across Utah and Nev¬ 
ada on both routes. We again impress that it is funda¬ 
mentally unsound to compare the cost of the two roads 
across Nevada, this question not entering at all into the 
problem, as both roads will be built. We have also said 
much to indicate that this figure is of no practical import¬ 
ance, because it assumes a completed government stand¬ 
ard road for nearly a thousand miles, a purely theoretical 
conception, and also because the integrity of the esti¬ 
mates of the cost of construction on those sections most 
vitally necessary can be seriously questioned. 


Page one hundred forty-four 


To this large sum is added, in the report’s sum¬ 
mary, the theoretical saving in maintenance each year, 
based on a difference in length of 22 miles and on an 
estimated cost of maintenance of $200.00 per mile per 
year. Both roads across Nevada, as construction pro¬ 
ceeds, will necessarily be maintained anyhow: Adopt¬ 
ing the proper western terminus, we show that the Lin¬ 
coln Highway is 12 miles shorter than the Northern 
Route: The relative maintenance of the two possible 
routes in Utah can by no means be considered the same: 
Maintenance on long stretches of both routes, whereon it 
will be years before a Federal standard road is con¬ 
structed, will, for the same number of years, be main¬ 
tained for far less than $200.00 per mile a year—on 
many long stretches practically nothing will be spent. 

To the theoretical sum representing difference in con¬ 
struction cost on both roads entire and the equally the¬ 
oretical sum indicating difference in total maintenance 
cost, is added the sum of $252,945.00, labeled “indirect 
saving in operating cost per year.” We have already at 
some length commented upon the questionable wisdom 
of endeavoring to develop a difference in operating cost 
of motor vehicles on the two routes and the endeavor to 
make such a highly impractical consideration a factor 
related to the problem. 

The total of the “saving in maintenance cost per 
year,” plus the “saving in operating cost per year,” is 
then shown by the report to be equivalent to 5 per cent 
interest on $5,146,900.00. 

We wish to point to the above, in our opinion value¬ 
less, computation as another instance of a slight suspi¬ 
cion of “color” tending to support a recommendation. 

“ 11 . Maintenance” 

Under this head the report first states that the cost 
of properly maintaining the two routes between Main 
Forks and Wadsworth would vary greatly, although the 
amount of difference in money is difficult to compute. 
It then states that $200.00 per mile per year is a fair 
average maintenance estimate on both routes entire and 
that on this basis it would cost $4,400.00 a year more 
to maintain the Lincoln Highway due to the fact that 








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Page one hundred forty-jive 


it is 22 miles longer than the Northern Route. 

The relative cost of maintaining the two routes across 
Nevada is absolutely immaterial to the problem, as both 
routes must and will be built and maintained. It is 
worth while to compare only the possible cost of main¬ 
taining the two routes in Utah where only one need be 
built for years. This comparison is not made in the 
report. 

We cannot accept, as a practical basis for compari¬ 
son, the sum of $200.00 per mile per year as an average 
maintenance cost on both roads entire. We do not agree 
that the relative maintenance cost on both roads entire 
has anything to do with the problem. Nevertheless, it is 
worth noting that, accepting your engineers' figures as 
to average cost per mile for maintenance, and accept¬ 
ing their contention that the only item to which a money 
value can be attached is the additional cost of maintain¬ 
ing an additional distance, the Lincoln Highway between 
Main Forks and Sacramento could then be maintained 
for $2,400.00 per year less than the Northern Route, 
instead of for $4,400.00 per year more, because it is 
12 miles shorter rather than 22 miles longer. 

Maintenance on Desert Road to Wendover 
Worthy of Special Study 

It is pertinent here to note the fact that the engineer¬ 
ing report devotes no consideration whatever to any 
maintenance problem between Knolls and Wendover. 
The possibility of exceptional maintenance cost being re¬ 
quired on this desert construction, which in the past it 
has been impossible to even open for travel at all, is 
ignored. We wish to point out that this question is one 
worthy of very careful consideration, as having a vital 
bearing upon the practicability and wisdom of construct¬ 
ing a road between Knolls and Wendover at all, and par¬ 
ticularly of constructing a road to the specifications sug¬ 
gested in the engineering report and with the drainage 
facilities therein indicated as adequate. 


Page one hundred forty-six 


CHAPTER XII 

“IV. ANALYSIS OF ROUTES FOR INTER¬ 
STATE CONNECTIONS, NEVADA - UTAH” 

U NDER this head in the report three possibilities of 
routing are considered, the point at issue evidently 
being which of the three possibilities would save mileage. 
We have already pointed out that the problem involved 
is not the saving of mileage, but the serving of traffic. 

Particularly is it true that, from a practical stand¬ 
point, the problem cannot be approached by a comparison 
of the total mileage involved, rather than only the mile¬ 
age necessitating improvement promptly. 

We have pointed out that in the ultimate the neces¬ 
sary and desirable thing to do, from the standpoint of 
serving the through travel as well as the minor local 
travel, is to adopt what, in your engineering report, is . 
characterized as “The First Possibility/’ that is, the 
Northern Route entire—681.7 miles—and the Lincoln 
Highway entire—669.5 miles; to which should be added 
the Midland Trail from Ely, Nevada, to Los Angeles— 
563.6 miles. 

Designating Federal Aid Highways Costs Nothing 

We appreciate that the conservation of Federal aid 
mileage in Utah and Nevada is now necessary, due to 
the 7 per cent limitation and the vast areas to be served, 
but we do not believe that the final ultimate solution of 
the great problem of adequately serving the tremendous 
transcontinental traffic which the future will develop, 
should hinge upon the saving of some 90 miles of Fed¬ 
eral aid designation. We impress the word “designa¬ 
tion” because in comparing the possibility of “designat¬ 
ing” various routes as Federal aid roads the entire 
mileage involved is considered, whereas the real point at 
issue now is not how many miles are to be “designated,” 



Page one hundred forty-seven 


but how many miles need be built, and built at once, to 
serve the travel. 

By providing for the designation of the Lincoln High¬ 
way in Utah and Nevada as a Federal aid road, and for 
its prompt construction with the assistance of the Fed¬ 
eral Government, the travel will be served, and served 
more promptly and more adequately and through the 
expenditure of less money to take care of those sections 
requiring construction. This is true even if it is admit¬ 
ted that a few more miles of designation may be re¬ 
quired in Utah to obviate the necessity for the construc¬ 
tion of many miles in Nevada. If the Lincoln Highway 
is designated and opened in Utah it does not follow that 
the immediate construction of a new route from Halleck 
to Gold Hill, in Nevada, is necessitated, for reasons 
which we have pointed out at length earlier in this Brief. 

The “designation” of a route for ultimate construction 
with Federal aid costs nothing, and we have shown why 
it may be desirable to include the connection, Main Forks 
to Wendover to Wells, in the Federal aid system, for the 
ultimate service of Northern Nevada; but this construc¬ 
tion can well await the financial ability of the two states, 
while the money available now is concentrated at once 
upon opening the most necessary and important through 
route from Main Forks to Ely. Four months' work at 
re-grading and gravelling the Lincoln Way project on 
the Utah desert would open a travelable and thoroughly 
practicable road, either to San Francisco or to Los An¬ 
geles. If it is not opened the travel waits. 

We believe that it is clear that your engineers' analysis 
of routes for interstate connections in Nevada and Utah 
is directed at a fallacious objective; that of trying to save 
mileage of designation, making all other considerations 
subservient to that relatively unimportant factor. 

“V. Summary and Recommendations” 

We regret that the engineers, detailed to secure physi¬ 
cal data in regard to the routes in Nevada and Utah, 
after a consideration of but a small part of the many ele¬ 
ments of the problem, undertook to provide an answer 
which cannot do otherwise than affect the opinion of a 


Page one hundred forty-eight 


student of this question. Their answer would also, if 
made public, affect opinion in the states involved. 

After adopting a “problem to be solved” which is not 
the true problem, the conclusion or solution reached 
could have been correct only by accident. We sincerely 
hope that the exhaustive nature of our comments on this 
extremely broad subject, has not prevented a careful 
study on your part of what we have had to say and that 
the erroneous conclusion of your engineering report has 
not too greatly tended to establish a pre-determination 
of the matter in line with its recommendations. 

Our Recommendations 

We appreciate that our recommendations can have no 
weight with you, except as they are wise and practicable, 
and can be proven to be so upon investigation of our 
statements. We hope that our statements may be in¬ 
vestigated fully, and that the contentions we have put 
forth in our Brief may be fully substantiated by investi¬ 
gation directed from your Department, to the end that 
a right decision may be reached, based upon considera¬ 
tion of all of the elements of the real problem from the 
broad standpoint of national policy, to provide an effec¬ 
tive correlation of western highways to serve the travel 
of the future. 

Your engineers recommend the Northern Route in 
Utah and Nevada as the primary route and the adoption 
of a road from Wendover to Schellbourne Junction and 
from that point via the Lincoln Highway to California 
as a secondary route. We recommend, on the basis of 
all of the data we have submitted, the adoption of the 
Lincoln Highway from Main Forks, Utah, via Ely and 
Carson City, Nevada, and Placerville, Calif., to Sacra¬ 
mento, as the primary road to be first opened and first 
completed. We recommend the inclusion in the Federal 
aid system as a secondary route, if the construction is 
later found to be feasible, the road from Main Forks to 
Wendover, Utah, to Wells and Reno, Nevada, and via 
Auburn, Calif., to Sacramento. 

The construction from Wells to Sacramento will pro¬ 
ceed rapidly, as we have shown, and the construction 


Page one hundred forty-mne 


from Main Forks to Wells can be safely left as a problem 
to be considered when the need to consider it arises, 
which will not be for many years. The opening of this 
section from Main Forks to Wells is a bridge it is far 
from necessary to cross until it is reached. 

There are now and will be for many years difficult 
road problems to be solved in that vast area between 
the Rockies and the Sierras which we have been consid¬ 
ering. Of fundamental first importance, overshadowing 
all others now and for any period it may be safe to pre¬ 
dict into the future, is the prompt opening of a satisfac¬ 
tory route which will connect Salt Lake City with both 
northern and southern California. 

“Remarks” 

Under this heading in the engineering report appeared 
a very significant paragraph, which we here quote 
verbatim: 

“It is regrettable that Ibapah and Gold Hill cannot 
be reached by the routing suggested, but economy of 
construction cost and service to the traveling public 
make it impossible. It is most unfortunate that the 
excellent work done by the State of Utah and the 
Lincoln Highway Association on the Goodyear Cut¬ 
off and at Fisher Pass does not fall on the recom¬ 
mended route . Presumably the funds in sight and the 
probable traffic demand estimated in 1917 and 1918 
contemplated the permanent use of much unsurfaced 
road and assumed that new construction would be 
confined to short sections of notoriously bad road, 
and this dictated choice of the southern route, 
where limited funds would unquestionably pro¬ 
duce the more travelable surface for light traffic. 
With the imminent possibility of constructing a con¬ 
tinuous highway from Salt Lake City to Reno, how¬ 
ever, comprehensive study over the entire affected area 
makes clear a condition of relative construction and 
operation costs that unmistakably favors the Northern 
Route, in spite of the larger funds already expended 
on the Utah section of the Southern Route!* (Lincoln 
Highway.) 


Page one hundred fifty 


Limited Funds and Light Traffic 

It is indeed true that the funds in sight and the prob¬ 
able traffic demand estimated in 1917 and 1918 dictated 
economy and the choice of a route which, while shortest 
to Ely, also permitted of the use for many years of long 
sections of unsurfaced road. This needful economy and 
the consideration of several, if not many, years of use 
of existing roads is just as urgent today. As your engi¬ 
neers point out, limited funds, if expended on the Lincoln 
Highway, would in 1917 and 1918, as they will today, 
“unquestionably produce the more travelable surface for 
light traffic.” 

Funds are still limited, and light traffic is the only 
traffic being considered. Under no circumstances can 
the combined local and through traffic at its height on 
any road west of Salt Lake City be considered “heavy” 
traffic insofar as its damaging effect upon a road surface 
is concerned. 

Transcontinental traffic or through traffic between 
Salt Lake City and California is “heavy” as compared 
with former years. It will become much “heavier” as 
time passes, but there is not now in sight a time when 
even the heaviest through flow of tourist traffic can be 
considered other than “light traffic” as related to the 
road surface required to handle it safely and expedi¬ 
tiously and with a minimum of maintenance. 

One hundred cars per day is your engineers’ estimate 
of the through travel, which would amount to 15,000 
cars per season, for there is no through traffic before 
the first of June and none after the end of October. 
This is a conservative daily figure, for your engineers 
also estimate 36,500 cars per season of 150 days, or a 
traffic of 243 cars per day as possible within the near 
future. 

We have presented figures compiled in Salt Lake City 
covering 1922 traffic west bound through that center 
for both San Francisco and Los Angeles. If we add 
together the best estimates available as to traffic out of 
Salt Lake City in 1922, over both the Arrowhead Trail 
and the Lincoln Highway, we still reach a figure far 
less than your engineers’ estimate of the possible through 


Page one hundred fifty-one 


traffic which would follow a properly constructed west¬ 
ern connection between Salt Lake and Ely. That the 
present amount of through travel toward the Pacific 
Coast is exceedingly heavy for transcontinental traffic, 
no one will deny. But that it is a heavy traffic, as traffic 
is measured in estimating the requirements of a road 
surface, no one will assert. 

No Heavy Traffic in Sight 

We believe that any highway engineer will agree that 
a traffic of under a thousand cars per day is a “light” 
traffic, which can be well accommodated with a very eco¬ 
nomical type of highway improvement. Even after hav¬ 
ing studied the flow of west-bound traffic for ten years, 
we would dislike to prophesy as to when through traffic 
west of Salt Lake City would reach a thousand cars a 
day during the touring season. We would not hazard 
the statement that such a traffic would not be reached 
within ten or fifteen years, but we will state without the 
slightest fear of contradiction from anyone familiar with 
the tourist traffic of the West, that it would not exceed 
a maximum of 300 or 400 cars a day during the next five 
years. 

Highway Funds Strictly Limited 

The State of Utah and the State of Nevada have the 
utmost difficulty in providing the funds to meet their 
Federal aid, and are confronted with the necessity of 
constructing many miles of highway vitally needed for 
their local travel. They can devote only a minor pro¬ 
portion of their total road funds to the provision of the 
highways required for the through traffic, but which do 
not coincide with the local requirements. In view of 
the fact that the highway funds available in these two 
states are strictly “limited” and that the funds in sight 
during the next several years are, in total, as inadequate 
to undertake the construction of a government standard 
road entirely across the two states as were the funds 
in 1917 and 1918 inadequate to undertake the improve¬ 
ment of the most impassable sections, we believe that the 
statement of your engineers that, on the Lincoln High¬ 
way “limited funds would unquestionably produce the 


Page one hundred fifty-two 


more travelable surface for light traffic,” should be par¬ 
ticularly stressed. It is one of the things we have en¬ 
deavored to impress throughout our Brief. 

We wish to stress, also that there is no “imminent pos¬ 
sibility of constructing a continuous highway from Salt 
Lake City to Reno,” to the Government standard, not if 
by “imminent” anytime within the next few years is 
meant. 

The Validity of Contract 

Your engineers, in the statement quoted, emphasized 
how unfortunate it is “that the excellent work done by 
the State of Utah and the Lincoln Highway Associa¬ 
tion on the Goodyear Cut-off and at Fisher Pass does not 
fall on the route recommended” by them. 

We feel also that this is unfortunate, doubly unfor¬ 
tunate when an aspect on the question, which did not 
and could not enter into the consideration of your engi¬ 
neers, is given the importance it deserves. We refer to 
our contract of March 21st, 1918, with the State of 
Utah, upon which we have previously touched and which 
is provided in the Appendix (A) in full. This con¬ 
tract was drawn by the Attorney-General of Utah, was 
approved by the Governor and signed by the highest 
state officials, constituting the Road Commission. It 
contains the most unequivocal expressions of indorse¬ 
ment of the route and the wisdom of the decision jointly 
arrived at. We wish to bring this contract again 
strongly to the attention of your Department, not be¬ 
cause it is important in weighing one route possibility 
against another, but because we hope for a solution of 
the problem which will save to the people of Utah, and 
to the public of the United States, the benefits of the 
large sums already spent. 

The Good Faith of a Sovereign State 

Relying on the good faith of a sovereign common¬ 
wealth, we paid $125,000.00 toward the accomplishment 
of a great and importantly needed work. We do not feel 
that the people of Utah will wish to forever rest under 
the stigma which attaches to having coldly repudiated 
a state contract. 


Page one hundred fifty-three 


Correspondence passing between the officials of this 
Association and the Governor of Utah and the state's 
highway officials in 1919 and 1920, which is provided 
in full in the Appendix (A), following the contract, 
establishes clearly that the State of Utah at that time 
had no thought of taking the position that the contract 
had been carried out. Note that the cessation of work 
in 1919 was explained first by the Governor as having 
been necessitated by needed repairs to the machinery 
and, later, by lack of funds. It was not until later that 
other officials of the state hit upon the expedient of 
claiming that the contract, as they interpreted it, had 
been carried out, taking this means of evading the ful¬ 
fillment of the contract. When more funds were offered 
they were refused. 

Have the state officials repudiated any “good faith” 
guarantee? We have been unable to find methods of 
legal recourse. Your Department is the court of last 
resort. Should your Department, by ignoring the state’s 
committment, permit and sanction the abandonment of 
the Lincoln Highway in Utah, and the resultant waste 
of the money contributed by this Association, not only 
for improvement in Utah, but for all of those sections 
in Nevada which the Utah section alone makes of ef¬ 
fective value, no further recourse is possible. 

We submit, Mr. Secretary, that your Department is 
expressly charged and empowered by Congress to act as 
a higher court than state highway authorities on matters 
involving highway improvement. The existence of this 
contract between the Association and the State of Utah 
merits, from every standpoint, the careful consideration 
of your Department before its utter repudiation is per¬ 
mitted, for your Department alone has the power to en¬ 
force its provisions or to require satisfactory restitution. 

Justice: to the Association 

If for any reason the weight of the evidence which 
we have with such care brought together for your con¬ 
sideration in this Brief, should be insufficient to over¬ 
throw the demand of the present administration in the 
State of Utah, and it becomes your decision to permit 


Page one hundred fifty-four 


the abandonment of the important Lincoln Way connec¬ 
tion to Ely and to foster and aid the opening of the route 
to Wendover, we submit that it is clearly incumbent upon 
your Department to require of the State of Utah, under 
such circumstances, that this Association be reimbursed 
in full by the state for the funds paid over to it under 
the contract which, under such circumstances, will be 
utterly repudiated. 

Nor will such repayment in the sum of $125,000.00 
reimburse this Association to the extent of more than 
50 per cent of the funds expended in the carrying out 
of the whole great plan, of which the Utah link was but 
a part, which was fully agreed upon between Utah, Nev¬ 
ada, and this Association, and which Nevada has car¬ 
ried out in good faith. Under no circumstances would 
our funds have been contributed to aid Nevada in im¬ 
provement between Ely and the California line had it 
not been certain, insofar as guarantees of state govern¬ 
ments made possible, that that route would be the first to 
be opened and the one to be forever regarded as the pri¬ 
mary through route for the transcontinental travel be¬ 
tween Salt Lake City and the Pacific Coast. 

Of no less importance than any of the foregoing is the 
question: “Does the good faith of a sovereign unit of 
these United States mean anything? May a state gov¬ 
ernment, hedged by laws forbidding legal redress— 
which imply that honor is sufficient guarantee—with im¬ 
punity ignore such guarantee ?” 

President Harding, whose interest in this organiza¬ 
tion’s work and whose cordial indorsement of its basic 
principles we have mentioned, recently, in his message 
to Congress, made a significant statement in referring 
to the happy agreement between Great Britain and the 
United States in the matter of the payment of the British 
debt, when he said, “It is a re-committment of the Eng¬ 
lish-speaking world to the validity of contract.” 

Here in this instance, involving relatively insignificant 
sums, is involved again, however, that great principle 
of validity of contract, which the President so strongly 
stressed. Can it in one instance be commended and in 
another disregarded? 


Page one hundred fifty-five 


APPENDIX 


H ERE is provided the full text of the various letters, 
contracts, resolutions and other documents to 
which reference was made or from which extracts were 
quoted in the Brief. 


A 


The Contract Between the State of Utah and the Lincoln Highway 
Association, Together With Some Pertinent 
Correspondence Relating Thereto 

The following is a correct copy of a resolution passed by the 
State Road Commission of Utah at its meeting held March 21st, 
1918. 

Moved by Commissioner McGonagle, 

Seconded by Commissioner Shields. Passed: 

WHEREAS, The Lincoln Highway Association, a corporation 
organized under the laws of the State of Michigan, with its prin¬ 
cipal offices in Detroit, Michigan, has made certain offers to the 
State of Utah for the advancement of sums of money, aggregating 
$125,000.00 for the completion of two sections of road, one be¬ 
tween Clover and Orr’s ranch, Utah, and one between north end 
of Granite Point and Black Point, Tooele County, Utah; and 

WHEREAS, It is agreed that in constructing these two neces¬ 
sary links in the route selected and thereby eliminating some 50 
miles of the worst road conditions now existing on the Trans¬ 
continental Highway, the Utah State Road Commission will ac¬ 
complish a work of the greatest benefit, not only to the State of 
Utah, but to the United States, in linking this great national stra¬ 
tegic highway, with its resources and its people, to the states on 
the east and west and to the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, thereby 
complying with the recommendations of the National Council of 
Defense in bringing the Utah section of the Lincoln Highway into 
proper condition; and 

WHEREAS, We see in this construction, now, more than ever 
before, the keystone of the Lincoln Highway arch, the most neces¬ 
sary step to be taken to provide a through route of an American 
highway transportation system; and 

WHEREAS, Through our patriotic desire and support we be¬ 
lieve that this construction will provide the only immediate oppor¬ 
tunity for the Lincoln Highway Association and the State Road 


Page one hundred fifty-six 


Commission of Utah to co-operate in achieving a result of vast 
national importance; and 

WHEREAS, The State Road Commission of Utah is willing to 
accept the money tendered, in consideration of the fact that the 
State Road Commission shall be allowed to make the construction 
requested and required, and in full compliance with the general 
road policy of the State of Utah. 

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, By the State 
Road Commission of the State of Utah, in regular meeting assem¬ 
bled, this 21st day of March, 1918, that the offer of $100,000.00 by 
the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company and by Mr. F. A. Sieber- 
ling, its President, for the construction of that part of the Lincoln 
Highway hereinafter particularly described, to-wit: 

Commencing at a point in Tooele County, Utah, known 
as the north end of Granite Point at Granite Mountain; 
thence in a westerly direction for a distance of approxi¬ 
mately miles, to a point known as Black Point, in 
Tooele County, Utah, which said points are the termini 
of the shortest distance across what is known as the 
Great Salt Lake Desert, 

be accepted, and a roadway be constructed, not less than eighteen 
feet in width and not less than one foot in elevation of natural 
dirt soil, covered with a gravel surface of not less than eight inches 
in depth at the center, nor less than twelve feet in width, or of 
greater width if so determined by the State Engineer of Utah 
upon further investigation; also 

BE IT RESOLVED, That the offer of $25,000.00 from Mr. 
Carl G. Fisher for the construction of that portion of the Lincoln 
Highway from Clover, Tooele County, Utah, toward Orr’s ranch, 
via what is known as Johnson Pass, be accepted. Said $25,000.00 
is to be used in constructing a safe mountain highway with double 
track turnouts, with suitable bridges to be erected where needed, 
the funds to be applied where most necessary as indicated by said 
State Road Commission after investigation and recommendation 
by the State Engineer, said construction to cover a distance as 
may be determined upon further investigation, but in no case shall 
said funds be applied on a section or sections, the total construc¬ 
tion exceeding six miles in length. 

The condition upon which said money is tendered to the State 
of Utah, and accepted by it, to be that said road, for the entire 
distance between Clover, Utah, and the Utah-Nevada state line, 
via Overland Canyon, shall be designated as a state highway by 
the State Road Commission on or before the date that construction 
shall actually begin thereon, the State of Utah first having secured 
proper right of way where such construction is to be made. 

FURTHER, That a road connecting the west terminus of the 
Seiberling section and the present road through Overland Canyon 


Page one hundred fifty-seven 


shall be opened up and made passable for motor propelled vehicles 
by the State of Utah; and that a road from Johnson Pass, at the 
end of the Fisher construction, and west to Granite Mountain, be 
put in good passable condition for travel, in order to connect the 
Seiberling-Fisher memorial sections. Also that a connection be 
made by the State of Utah between the east terminus of the Fisher 
section and the town of Clover, Utah. 

There shall be deposited with the State Treasurer of the State 
of Utah, as an evidence of good faith by said Seiberling and said 
Fisher, on or before the 1st day of May, 1918, or by the Lincoln 
Highway Association as their representative, fifty per cent of the 
gross amount of money herein appropriated; and the remaining 
fifty per cent shall be likewise deposited on or before the time 
when actual work shall have been commenced. 

Said work shall be continued and completed not later than the 
first day of July, 1919. 

The providers of the funds herein referred to and hereby ac¬ 
cepted by the State of Utah shall be furnished with duplicate 
copies of the disbursement sheets kept in the office of the State 
Road Commission of Utah, showing the application of said money 
and the detailed items of expenditure as the work shall pro¬ 
gress, which said statement shall be furnished monthly. 

The desert section herein referred to shall be known and desig¬ 
nated either as the Goodyear or Seiberling section as Mr. F. A. 
Seiberling shall hereafter determine; and Johnson Pass shall here¬ 
after be known and designated as Fisher Pass, or by such other 
designation as Mr. Carl G. Fisher shall hereafter determine. 

Said Seiberling and Fisher are hereby given authority to con¬ 
struct, at their own expense, at the termini of, or at such other 
places along such sections, suitable markers, monuments or arches 
for the designation of said respective sections in connection with 
the work herein referred to. 

The Lincoln Highway’s representatives are hereby given au¬ 
thority to inspect the work on said highway while the same shall 
be in progress of construction under the direction of the State 
Engineer and the State Road Engineer, respectively. 

FURTHER, Said Seiberling section, after completion, shall be 
kept closed to all travel until officially dedicated, jointly, by the 
officials of the State of Utah and of the said Lincoln Highway 
Association. 

In consideration of the construction made by the State of Utah, 
whereby the Fisher and Seiberling sections are connected with 
and made a part of the State Highway system of Utah, it is agreed 
that Mr. F. A. Seiberling shall pay to the State of Utah for the 
proper upkeep of the Seiberling section such bills for maintenance 
as the State of Utah shall render, said amount at no time to be 
in excess of Five Thousand ($5,000) Dollars per year, nor for a 
longer period than five years, beginning with the year 1920. 


Page one hundred fifty-eight 


IT IS AGREED that the State of Utah shall begin construc¬ 
tion of the desert or Seiberling section not later than September 1, 
1918, and failing so to commence work, all moneys deposited under 
this agreement, together with interest thereon at two per cent per 
annum, shall be returned to the donors by the State of Utah on 
demand, after October 1, 1918. It is understood that work having 
once been begun it shall be continued with reasonable diligence 
until the same shall have been completed. 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, We, the undersigned, have here¬ 
unto attached our signatures, this 21st day of March, 1918. 

State Road Commission of Utah, 
Harden Bennion, 

Vice-Chairman and Sec. of State. 
Dan B. Shields, Attorney-General. 
Joseph Ririe, State Auditor. 

G. F. McGonagle, State Engineer. 

The Lincoln Highway Association, 

By F. A. Seiberling, President. 

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., 

F. A. Seiberling, President . 

The Lincoln Highway Association, 
Carl G. Fisher, Vice-President. 

The Lincoln Highway Association, 

A. F. Bement, Secretary. 

Carl G. Fisher. 

Attest: 

Ira R. Browning, State Road Engineer and Secretary. 

Nevada State Consul Advises Governor Bamberger of Utah 
That Desert Work Has Been Stopped 
Sept. 27th, 1919 

Ely, Nevada, Sept. 27, 1919. 

Hon. Simon Bamberger, 

Governor of Utah, 

Salt Lake City, Utah. 

Dear Governor: 

Last week I made quite an extended trip through central 
Utah, returning via Fisher Pass and the Seiberling cutoff. 

As I was going down the western side of the pass I met 
the road gang coming up, with all their machinery loaded; 
I asked them whether they were moving camp and they told 
me some of the Road Commission had been through that day 
and ordered all work stopped on the pass. As the road had 
been touched up a little clear down to Orr’s fence, I concluded 
possibly a change of plans was in contemplation, and possi¬ 
bly different machinery was to be used. The road along 
Orr’s fence—the last 3 miles into the ranch—is just barely 
passable and that’s all. 


Page one hundred fifty-nine 


At the desert job I found everything progressing as usual 
with the addition to the machinery of 7 trucks; the graveling 
has been carried about half way across. Everything seemed 
to be strung out nicely, and the gravel pit showed better than 
I had ever before seen it. 

Last night a local autoist came in to see me. having crossed 
the cutoff the day before, and told me all work had ceased 
at the cutoff and that one of the men told him the camp was 
being broken up, the machinery was being taken down and 
that the entire equipment had been ordered taken to Gold 
Hill and loaded for shipment. 

Believing there must have been some misunderstanding, I 
am taking the liberty of writing to you, knowing that you 
have always been in accord with this work and believing you 
can best correct any misunderstanding that may exist. 

It would surely be poor business to destroy the fine organ¬ 
ization now on that work, move the machinery twice—for 
I am confident none better could be devised for the work in 
hand—and lose all the good season just ahead—the very best 
part of the year for gravel spreading. 

You will recollect the agreement made between Mr. Sei- 
berling and the Road Commission provided—“that work 
once having been begun it shall be continued with reason¬ 
able diligence until the same shall have been completed.” 

To this the good faith of the State of Utah is pledged and 
I am confident your friendship with Mr. Seiberling contem¬ 
plates this shall be fulfilled in the spirit in which the contract 
was made and in accord with the generosity which provided 
a part of the cost. 

It is barely possible an understanding may have been 
arrived at between the Road Commission and Mr. Seiberling 
relative to this cessation of work and that I have not been 
advised of same, but I am writing you first that no unneces¬ 
sary expense may be incurred by Utah unless such an agree¬ 
ment has been made. 

Nevada is looking forward to the completion of this job 
just as it would to the arrival of a new railroad, and I* feel 
that Utah, too, will feel a pride of achievement equal to ours, 
and that all of us want to see the completion of the work at 
the earliest possible moment consistent with economical oper¬ 
ation. I can not conceive how the last could be accomplished 
by cessation right now. 

Mr. Ostermann is expected to reach Ely on the 30th inst. 
and will doubtless pay you a visit during the coming week. 

With assurance of my highest regards, I beg to remain, 

Very truly yours, 

G. S. Hoag, 
Nevada State Consul. 


Page one hundred sixty 


F. A. Seiberling, President, The Lincoln Highway Association 
Inquires of Governor Bamberger Regarding 
Cessation of Construction 
Oct. 2nd, 1919 

The Honorable Simon Bamberger, October 2, 1919. 

Governor, State of Utah, 

Salt Lake City, Utah. 

My dear Governor: 

Mr. Hoag, our Nevada Consul at Ely, sends me copy of a 
letter addressed to you September 27, and I am rather startled 
at the information it contains. 

While it is true that the State of Utah has not carried out 
its contract with the Highway Association and myself accord¬ 
ing to its terms, the delay has not given me serious concern, 
knowing that conditions arise that cannot be foreseen, which 
would operate to delay your program; but if, as a matter of 
fact, the work has been abandoned as indicated in Mr. Hoag's 
letter, I feel that I ought to know the reason and the inten¬ 
tion of the State with reference to completion of the work 
as provided in our agreement. 

May I have a word from you upon the subject at your earliest 
convenience ? 

With warmest personal regards, believe me— 

Yours very truly, 

F. A. Seiberling, 

President, The Lincoln Highway Association. 

FAS :J 


Governor Bamberger Explains Reasons for 
Stopping Road Work on Desert 
Oct. 16th, 1919 

STATE OF UTAH 
Executive Office 
Salt Lake City 

Mr. F. A. Seiberling, October 16, 1919. 

President, 

Lincoln Highway Association, 

Akron, Ohio. 

My dear Mr. Seiberling: 

I have your letter of October 2nd and in relation to work 
on the Lincoln Highway in the western part of the state. 

The suspension of activities there at this time are brought 
about by a report presented to the Road Commission by the 
State Highway Engineer to the effect that practically all of 
the equipment was in very bad condition and would have 
to come to the shops immediately for repairs. The equip¬ 
ment in working condition was so limited that the Commis¬ 
sion felt the work could not be continued except at an 
unusually heavy expense. Inasmuch as the winter season is 


Page one hundred sixty-one 


near at hand, it was deemed advisable to stop all the work 
for the time being rather than incur an extraordinary expense 
and accomplish little or no results. The matter of resuming 
work has not been given consideration by the State Road 
Commission and probably will not be taken up until my return 
from the east. 

I am leaving today for an extended business trip to New 
York and Washington and other eastern points and if time 
will permit, it is probable I will see you before my return 
to Salt Lake. 

With kindest personal regards, I am, 

Sincerely yours, 

Simon Bamberger, Governor. 


Mr. Seiberling Asks When Work Will Be Resumed 

Jan. 24th, 1920 

The Honorable Simon Bamberger, January 24, 1920. 

Governor, State of Utah, 

Salt Lake City, Utah. 

My dear Governor: 

In your letter of October 16th you stated that it was found 
necessary to stop all work for the winter season, indicating 
that upon your return from the East the question of resum¬ 
ing operations would be taken up with the State Road Com¬ 
mission, and that you might be able to see me on your return 
West. 

I am very anxious to see this work completed as early this 
year as it is practicable to do so, and should like to know 
the existing status, whether the date of resumption has been 
fixed and when the work will probably be completed. 

I regret exceedingly that you were not able to stop over 
enroute, particularly if you had Mrs. Bamberger with you, 
our family not forgetting the very pleasant stay you made 
us a year ago and desiring to meet you both again whenever 
it may be possible for you to stop over. 

With kindest personal regards, I am, 

Yours very truly, 


F. A. Seiberling. 


Page one hundred sixty-two 


Governor Bamberger Explains Willingness to Complete 
the Road and Reason for Delay 
Feb. 3d, 1920 

STATE OF UTAH 
Executive Office 
Salt Lake City 

February 3, 1920. 

Mr. F. A. Seiberling, President, 

Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, 

Akron, Ohio. 

My dear Mr. Seiberling: 

Upon my return from the East a few days ago I found your 
letter of January 24th in relation to renewal of work on the Lin¬ 
coln Highway in western Utah. I have discussed the matter with 
other members of the State Road Commission and while there 
is a willingness to continue the work we are handicapped seriously 
because of a lack of funds. Not only has the heavy increase in 
cost sadly depleted our road funds to the extent that we are now 
unable to meet certain Federal appropriations, but we are also 
confronted with a serious depreciation in bond values which pre¬ 
vents us from selling our State Highway bonds at this time. The 
best offer we are able to get for our 4^2 per cent State Highway 
bonds is about $90.00, and inasmuch as we have no authority to 
sell these securities below par, we find ourselves in a decidedly 
difficult position. 

Pursuant to the suggestion I made last fall, we shall be only 
too glad to continue the work on this Goodyear Section if you can 
see your way clear to make available the $25,000 granted for main¬ 
tenance purposes. We would accept such an arrangement with 
the stipulation that the State of Utah take off your hands all 
obligation for future maintenance of the road. 

I had hoped while in the East I could find it convenient to re¬ 
turn by way of Akron and stop there for a friendly conference, 
but conditions arose which precluded such an itinerary. 

I am now hopeful that you may find it convenient to pay us a 
visit within the next few months, if you are in the western 
country. 

With kind personal regards, I am, 

Yours very truly, 

Simon Bamberger. 


Page one hundred sixty-three 


Mr. Seiberling Asks If He Can Aid Progress 
By Buying State Bonds 
Feb. 7th f 1920 

The Honorable Simon Bamberger, 

Executive Office, 

Salt Lake City, Utah. 

February 7, 1920. 

My dear Governor: 

I have your letter of the third and can quite understand how 
without funds no work can be done on your highways. 

To assist you in building the Goodyear Section and that part 
of the road that you were expecting to improve east thereof, I feel 
that I would be inclined to purchase bonds at par for the amount 
that will be required to do this work, if the amount is not too 
large. Would you be able to complete the work within the next 
three months if funds were supplied on such an arrangement? 

Yours truly, 

F. A. Seiberling. 


Utah State Highway Engineer Replies Emphasizing 
State’s Financial Difficulties 
Feb. 21st, 1920 

STATE ROAD COMMISSION OF UTAH 

State Capitol 
Salt Lake City, Utah 

Mr. F. A. Seiberling, Pres., February 21, 1920. 

Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co., 

Akron, Ohio. 

Dear Mr. Seiberling: 

Your valued favor of February 7th, addressed to Governor 
Bamberger, came during his absence and has been referred to this 
office for reply. 

I took the liberty of bringing this matter before the State Road 
Commission at a meeting held yesterday, and I was instructed to 
advise you that owing to the increased cost of labor and materials, 
the State Road Commission finds itself unable to carry out the 
program of state road construction adopted in the spring of 1917, 
estimates and apportionments of funds to projects having been 
based on costs obtaining at that time. 

The state has improved the Lincoln Highway from Black Point 
at the west end of the Seiberling Section via Gold Hill to the 
Nevada line, and it was hoped that additional funds could be made 
available for the improvement of the connecting section between 
the Fisher and Seiberling Sections this year; but the outlook at 
this time is anything but encouraging, and no definite assurance 
can be given as to what can be done in this direction. 

Were the state able at this time to dispose of its unsold bonds 


Page one hundred sixty-four 


at par, there would still remain a deficit of $1,302,875.00 in order 
to construct the highways provided for in the program adopted in 
the spring of 1917, which represents the increase in cost of labor 
and materials since that date. 

Yours very truly, 

Ira Browning, 

State Road Engineer. 


Mr. Seiberling Calls Attention to the Contract and the 
Importance of Desert Road 
March 5th, 1920 

Mr. Ira R. Browning, March 5, 1920. 

State Road Engineer, 

Salt Lake City, Utah. 

My dear Mr. Browning: 

I have been absent from the city and returning, find your letter 
of the 21st in response to my letter to Governor Bamberger. 

I understood the state’s financial condition substantially as you 
put it, but you do not answer my question as to whether the state 
would be willing to sell me the bonds at par in an amount necessary 
to finish what you term the Seiberling Section, which is the seven¬ 
teen and a fraction miles of desert ground. I am more concerned 
about this section than the piece east thereof to Fisher Pass. 

If the Governor has returned, will you be kind enough to 
take the matter up with him again, with a view to devising 
some plan by which the desert section may be completed 
now, and the road east thereof can be taken care of at some 
convenient time. We have invested our money in accord¬ 
ance with a contract entered into with the State of Utah, 
have in good faith carried through our obligation, and I feel 
that we are entitled to have the state carry out its part of 
the agreement if it is possible for it to do so. 

Yours truly, 

F. A. Seiberling. 


Utah State Highway Engineer Explains Reason for 
State’s Delay in Completing Contract 
March 12th, 1920 

STATE ROAD COMMISSION OF UTAH 

State Capitol 
Salt Lake City, Utah 

Mr. F. A. Seiberling, Pres., March 12, 1920. 

Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. A 
Akron, Ohio. 

Dear Mr. Seiberling: 

Replying to your favor of March 5th in which you recall 
the generous offer made by you in your letter of February 
7th to purchase bonds at par sufficient to carry through to 


Page one hundred sixty-five 


completion the Seiberling and Fisher Sections of the Lincoln 
Highway, you are advised that in the last paragraph of my 
letter to you under date of February 21st, attention to which 
is now directed, I advised that the state finds itself facing 
a deficit of $1,302,875.00 and the taxpayers of the state are 
insisting that retrenchment be made on such roads as the 
Lincoln Highway west of Salt Lake City, which are classed 
as tourist highways and of little or no benefit to the residents 
of the state or even the counties through which they pass. 
The State Road Commission is now holding daily meetings 
with the county commissioners from different parts of the 
state, in an effort to readjust the plans for highway construc¬ 
tion heretofore adopted, and in nearly all of the counties it 
is apparent that our plans for this year’s construction will 
of necessity have to be curtailed to the extent of nearly 50%. 

This situation is due almost entirely to the increased cost 
of labor and materials, as the present program was approved 
in the spring of 1919 and the estimates based on prices pre¬ 
vailing in 1918. 

Trusting this explanation will serve to make clear the im¬ 
possibility of attempting to complete the Tooele County sec¬ 
tion of the Lincoln Highway during the present year, I am, 

Sincerely, 

Ira R. Browning, 
State Road Engineer. 


B 

Official Memorandum Increasing Wendover Road Estimate 

BUREAU OF PUBLIC ROADS 

Date—February 15, 1923. 

Memorandum to Mr. MacDonald 
From L. I. Hewes. 

Referring to previous conversations regarding the estimate of 
the Wendover cut-off, after conversation with Mr. Kittredge I 
believe it is advisable to increase the estimate between Wendover 
and Knolls, Section 11, by $80,000. This increase will permit a 
higher fill, if found desirable, and will allow for any unforeseen 
contingencies. 

L. I. H. 

c 

A Resolution Formally Passed by the Board of County 
Commissioners of Tooele County, Utah 
September 4, 1922 

WHEREAS, A majority of the tax-payers of Tooele County 
are opposed to the expenditure of County money for construc¬ 
tion of the proposed Victory Highway across Tooele County; 
but are in favor of completing the Lincoln Highway in due 



Page one hundred sixty-six 


time and under satisfactory conditions, and are also in favor 
of necessary maintenance of local roads throughout the 
County; and in order that their attitude in these matters may 
be truly and officially and publicly expressed, it is hereby, 
RESOLVED, By the Board of County Commissioners, that 
Tooele County will refuse to participate in the work of locat¬ 
ing, constructing, or maintaining the Victory Highway, or 
any other transcontinental road on or along the so-called 
Wendover route; that the Lincoln Highway as officially 
located and partially constructed, is the choice of the people 
of Tooele County for a transcontinental road through Tooele 
County, and that the timely completion, under satisfactory 
conditions of said Lincoln Highway will best serve the inter¬ 
ests of Tooele County; that for the present no money will 
be expended on roads in Tooele County except for maintain¬ 
ing its local roads in reasonably passable condition, and it 
is hereby further resolved that copies of this resolution be 
immediately sent to the Federal Bureau of Public Roads; 
the State Road Commission of Utah, the Governor of Utah, the 
Victory Highway Association, and to such others as may be inter¬ 
ested. Chairman C. Alvin Orme, P. C. Gillett, voting yes. G. 
M. Mathews votes no. Carried. 


D 

Assembly Joint Resolution (No. 2) 

Introduced by Mr. Jurich, Passed by the Legislature 
of the State of Nevada 
January 29, 1923 

WHEREAS, The State of Nevada has adopted a program of 
highway construction designed to afford interstate as well as intra¬ 
state communication, and has designated two connections with 
the State of Utah and six connections with the State of Cali¬ 
fornia; and 

WHEREAS, The State of Utah has failed to provide a con¬ 
nection with route 2 of the Nevada highway system, commonly 
known as the Lincoln Highway, thereby depriving a large ma¬ 
jority of the people of central and southern Nevada of the bene¬ 
fit of interstate communication and travel; and 

WHEREAS, The Lincoln Highway Association has contrib¬ 
uted the sum of $125,000 toward road construction in western 
Utah and a like sum for construction in Nevada; and 

WHEREAS, The refusal of the State of Utah to include the 
Lincoln Highway in western Utah as a part of its Federal aid 
highway system will result in a complete loss of the money so 
invested, and deny to the State of Nevada the benefit of commu¬ 
nication with its natural sources of supply; and 


Page one hundred sixty-seven 

WHEREAS, In April, 1922, the Governor of Nevada, the de¬ 
partment of highways and over thirty chambers of commerce, 
boards of county commissioners and other civil and civic bodies 
joined in a request to the State of Utah that it include the Lin¬ 
coln Highway in western Utah in its Federal aid highway system, 
and said request was ignored; therefore, 

Be it resolved by the Assembly of the State of Nevada, thd 
Senate concurring, That the State of Utah is hereby requested to 
include in its Federal aid highway system that particular road in 
western Utah commonly known as the Lincoln Highway and con¬ 
necting with route 2 of the Nevada highway system at or near 
Ibapah, Utah, thereby providing for the people of southern and 
central Nevada the means of communication they require for their 
prosperity and welfare. 

Be it further resolved, That the secretary of agriculture be and 
he is hereby requested to take official notice of this request of the 
State of Nevada, and that certified copies of this resolution, bear¬ 
ing the great seal of the State of Nevada, be transmitted by the 
governor of Nevada, to the governor of Utah, and to the secretary 
of agriculture immediately on the approval of this resolution. 


E 


A Petition Directed to the Governor of Utah by the Governor and the 
Department of Highways of Nevada and by Many 
Utah, Nevada and California Counties 
and Organizations 

March (various dates) 1922. 

Hon. Chas. R. Mabey, 

Governor of Utah, 

Salt Lake City, Utah. 

Dear Sir: 

WHEREAS, The recently enacted Federal Highway act pro¬ 
vides that each state shall designate roads which alone shall re¬ 
ceive Federal aid until all so designated are completed, the con¬ 
struction of which will require from ten to fifteen years; and 
WHEREAS, Utah, being the eastern gateway to all of Nevada, 
it is vitally important to Nevada that the Utah connections ade¬ 
quately serve all parts of Nevada; and 

WHEREAS, The program for Federal aid heretofore submit¬ 
ted by Utah does not provide the most direct avenue possible to a 
very large number of cities and towns in central Nevada, local¬ 
ities which, through lack of transcontinental railways must depend 
on highways for east and west communication; and 

WHEREAS, The Lincoln Highway is the main correlating 
highway across Nevada, directly serving such important com¬ 
munities as McGill, East Ely, Ely, Ruth, Kimberly, Hamilton, 


Page one hundred sixty-eight 


Eureka, Austin, Fallon, Hazen, Reno, Carson City and Lake 
Tahoe and also forming direct connection by improved high¬ 
ways with Pioche, Lund, Preston, Tonopah, Goldfield, Haw¬ 
thorne, Yerington, Minden, Virginia City, Gold Hill, and Day- 
ton, thereby serving about 90 per cent of the population and busi¬ 
ness interests of Nevada; and also .serving Gold Hill and Ibapah 
in Utah and the Yosemite and Owens river valleys in California; 
and 

WHEREAS, The only western outlet which Utah has hereto¬ 
fore designated will not provide a direct connection with the Lin¬ 
coln Highway route across Nevada; and 

WHEREAS, Nevada has designated the Lincoln Highway 
route for Federal aid; and 

WHEREAS, The business prosperity of central Nevada de¬ 
pends largely on securing direct communication with Salt Lake 
City, thereby more closely cementing the business relations of 
Nevada and Utah; and 

WHEREAS, The failure of Utah to provide a direct connec¬ 
tion with the Lincoln Highway’s route across Nevada would tend 
to alienate the friendly business relations between those two 
states; and 

WHEREAS, The Lincoln Highway Association has hereto¬ 
fore given large sums of money to Utah and Nevada to assist in 
constructing its route across those states, relying on the gratitude 
and good faith of both states to include such improved portions 
in their interstate roads; and 

WHEREAS, Every section of the Lincoln Highway between 
the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, except that portion lying in Tooele 
county, Utah, has been designated as part of the Federal High¬ 
way system; and 

WHEREAS, The Federal aid act provides that all state desig¬ 
nations are tentative and subject to change until approved by the 
Secretary of Agriculture, which approval has not yet been given; 

NOW, THEREFORE, we hereby petition that you request and 
cause the State Road Commission of Utah to so reallocate its 
Federal aid program as to provide Federal aid on the road via 
Tooele, Fisher Pass, Granite Mountain and Ibapah. known as 
the Lincoln Highway route. 

(The several originals were presented to Governor 
Mabey on April 10, 1922, signed copies being also sent 
to the Bureau of Public Roads, where they are now on 
file for your inspection.) 

Copies of the above resolution were signed, sever¬ 
ally, by: 

Hon. Emmet D. Boyle, Governor of Nevada. 

The Department of Highways, State of Nevada. 

Reno, Nevada, Chamber of Commerce. 


Page one hundred sixty-nine 


County Commissioners of Nye county, Nevada. 

County Commissioners of Ormsby county, Nevada. 
County Commissioners of Douglas county, Nevada. 
County Commissioners of Lincoln county, Nevada. 
County Commissioners of White Pine county, Nevada. 
County Commissioners of Churchill county, Nevada. 
County Commissioners of Storey county, Nevada. 

Ely, Nevada, City Council. 

Dayton, Nevada, Improvement Association. 

Board of Trustees of Carson City, Nevada. 

Pioche, Nevada, Commercial Club. 

Lander County, Nevada, Grazing Association. 

Toyiabe Wool Growers’ Association, Nevada. 

Chamber of Commerce, Austin, Nevada. 
Truckee-Carson Irrigation District, Nevada. 
Commercial Club, Minden, Nevada. 

Carson Valley Highway Association, Nevada. 

Tonopah Mine Owners’ Association, Tonopah, Nevada. 
The Greater Carson Club, Carson City, Nevada. 
Chamber of Commerce, Ely, Nevada. 

Comstock Chamber of Commerce, Nevada. 

Gold Hill and Deep Creek Community Club, Utah. 
County Commissioners, Tooele County, Utah. 

City Council of Tooele, Utah. 

Chamber of Commerce, Livermore, Calif. 

El Dorado County (Calif.) Chamber of Commerce. 
Chamber of Commerce, Tracy, Calif. 

Board of Trustees, Town of Hayward, Calif. 

Hayward Real Estate Board, Calif. 

Board of Supervisors, El Dorado County, Calif. 

Board of Trustees, City of Placerville, Calif. 


F 

An Act Passed by Both the Senate and the Assembly of the 
Legislature of the State of Nevada 
March 15th, 1923 

AN ACT 

Designating a primary route of a highway through the State of 
Nevada and repealing all acts in conflict therewith. 

The People of the State of Nevada, represented in Senate and 

Assembly, do enact as follows: 

Section 1 . The route known as the Lincoln Highway 
route through the State of Nevada is hereby designated 
and shall be the primary route or road through, across 
and in the State of Nevada in conformity with any 
United States or state law providing for such designation. 


Page one hundred seventy-two 


H 

TOURIST REGISTRATION AT UTAH STATE AUTOMO¬ 
BILE ASSN. OFFICE—SALT LAKE CITY—FROM 
JANUARY 1st TO DECEMBER 31st, 1922 

Arrived From East 
Via 



L. H. 

M. T. 

P. P. 

January . 

. 4 

2 

• • • 

February . 


• • • 

• « • 

March. 


• • • 

• • • 

April . 

. 17 

5 

• • • 

May . 

. 142 

48 

10 

June . 

. 811 

132 

91 

July . 

.1,040 

123 

471 

August . 

.1,654 

224 

512 

September . 

.1,493 

14 

331 

October . 

. 551 

136 

156 

November . 

. 80 

29 

21 

December . 

. 23 

11 

2 

Actual Registration . 

.5,815 

724 

1,594 

Multiplied By Four for Estimated 

Totals 



23,260 

2,896 

6,376 


L. H.—Lincoln Highway. 

M. T.—Midland Trail. 

P. P.—Pike’s Peak. 




















Main F 
Sacramento 




Winnemucci 


'Battle Mountain! 


Tehama 


Lovelocks, 


Main Forks to Wadsworl 
Northern Route, 501.5 mile: 
^Lincoln Highway,497.2 miles 

Dif. favor L. H. 4.3 miles 


Willows 


Tahoe CityV 

LAkc 

.Mi Rl 

X' TAHOE 


Auburn 


Lincoln Highwa; 

Ma in Forks, Utah t 

Sacramento, CaL, 669.5 


^tnento 


, a h VUdiand 


Mono l^aki 
rOSEMlTE 
I national} 

•3 park J 


Stockton 


.Oakland 


Midland 

Salt Lake City, UtaJ 
Cal., (via Ely Nes 


SanFrancisci 


Goldfield 


’>ward 


Modesto 


Santa Cru? 


r-» S£ * grant 
*" J NA T J°1* L p ARK 


resno' 


Salinas 


Monterc 


| SEQUOIA 

■j national 
'“I park 


(Tulare 


PasoRoble 


^kersfield 


Jehachapi 


^ ar 5t°w 


v tft6arbara 


Centura 


b San Bernardino 
Riverside 


LosAngeles 




























































* 














1 


; ! 




















n 









































































































































































LINCOLN HIGHWAY ENTITY 
NOW AT STAKE! 


Clean-Cut Issue Before Secretary Wallace 

for Decision 

Shall Lincoln Way Be Transcontinental 
Route—or a Road from New York City 
to Salt Lake City Only? 

• t t . 

UTAH WOULD BALK 
$70,000,000 ENTERPRISE 
NOW 65 % COMPLETED 


Tourist Dollars Form Stake In Gigantic Game 
of Road Strategy Involving Area Size of France 

Should Roads Best Serve Travel—or Travel 
Be Forced to Follow Roads Located 

‘ s - . r i ' : 

to Serve Local Advantage? 

MOTOR TOURISTS SPEND 
$100,000,000 A YEAR IN THE 

WEST NOW! 









SAN 


The States traversed by the Lincoln Way between New York and San Francisco ha 

The issue now is: Shall the Lincoln Highway end at Salt L 

great memorial road be comf 


The Last Gap in the Lincoln Way 

T HE question of completing the “Main Street of the 
Nation” westward from Salt Lake City has reached 
the highest governmental authority. It is before the Sec¬ 
retary of Agriculture at Washington for final decision. The 
sole remaining barrier to through travel lies in western Utah. 

If Secretary Wallace follows the wishes of the State of 
Nevada as formally expressed, the Lincoln Highway entity 
will be saved. If he follows the demands of the present Utah 
political regime, the Lincoln Highway will cease to be a 
transcontinental road! It will end at Salt Lake City, Utah. 

The Lincoln Highway and its delta of connecting roads 
in the West carry a traffic valued at $100,000,000 a year! 
Motor tourists distribute in the areas tributary to the main 
route through the western playgrounds, by those areas’own 
estimates, that amount yearly now! 

The imminent abandonment of the Lincoln Highway west 
of Salt Lake City and the providing in lieu thereof of routes 
which will forever less favorably meet the needs of a large 
part of the immense through travel, is more serious than 
many realize. 

The Lincoln Highway Association is not favorably dis¬ 
posed towards seeing a large part of this travel which it has 
been so largely instrumental in stimulating, and which is out 
“Seeing America First,” discouraged in the effort by being 
forced to traverse such unattractive and unsafe areas as the 
Mohave Desert in the torrid heat of Summer, merely to gain 
for Utah the financial advantage that State is seeking to 
secure to the detriment of Nevada and of all future travel to 
California. 




















WISCONSIN 


MICHIGAN 


ILLINOIS I INDIANA 1 


rrr 

!ver.|n.ev\ 

NEW YORK , J_ 

Jm 

>0» o rhe 

LINCOLN 

HIGHWAY 

^Improvement Chart 

f Xji I / HNHI hbrdjurftcvd (pav»m*nt) 

Unroll Micidtm 
ilimuiD CoodCrov*) 

*/ssS/S. / l Graded Dirt (fewtiUng surfacing) 
t > Natural Oift (no Improver* *rvt) 


i ;ted over $47,000,000 since 1913 to bring the route to its present stage of improvement. 
4 y, or shall the missing link in western Utah be built and the 
, s a transcontinental highway? 



















1 


Future Travel of America Affected 

The present Utah administration, contrary to the broad 
policy of co-operation with Nevada and with the Association, 
which was continued for eight years by previous adminis¬ 
trations, is now making a strong fight to abandon the Lincoln 
Way. The stake is Utah’s own local financial advantage 
through the construction of routes which will force travel by 
longer roads through areas it does not wish to traverse. 

In this “Brief for the Lincoln Highway” we have made 
a serious effort to save that carefully located route now so 
well along towards connecting travellable condition across 
the continent. 

Our Association has expended ten years of time and 
$950,000.00 in money to bring into being a road which could 
form the backbone of an American highway transportation 
system and stand forever as a memorial to the martyred 
Lincoln. The existence and the whole plan for this great 
transcontinental artery are now at stake. 

Ten years of study were required to produce this docu¬ 
ment. It will mean either final success for the great plan 
founded by ‘Visionaries” ten years ago—or will be the swan 
song of the organization which fathered and fostered inter¬ 
state American highways. 

We hope you will find this document interesting. 

THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY ASSOCIATION, 

Austin F. Bement, 
Vice-President and Secretary. 




































' .* 








/ • 
















































v 


> 







/ 


























